GET TO KN
BWSD Alumni
5 Things You Should Know about Baldwin High School Alumnus Justin Fortunato
Justin Fortunato is a Baldwin High School graduate and accomplished actor and director. Get to know him and how BHS gave him his start.
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1. He started dreaming of the stage while under the roof of Whitehall Elementary.“ I began an interest with the performing arts in fifth Grade at Whitehall.” After graduating BHS in 2007, Fortunato earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from Point Park University. He now acts and directs around Pittsburgh and beyond.
2. His days are longer than yours. Fortunato is the Artistic Producing Director of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, Pennsylvania. It’ s a role that requires dedication:“ My days usually begin at 7:00 a. m. and end at 11:00 p. m. I begin my day working in the office at Lincoln Park, planning and executing our current and upcoming seasons, and then attending rehearsals in the early evening, and then another rehearsal in the late evening. I have been very lucky to have opportunities to make a living in my field. It is most certainly long hours but I have such fun getting to create stories with other talented artists”
3. His career path was set in high school.“ I was involved with the musicals and plays at Baldwin under the direction of Kris Tranter, and from that experience I decided to enter the field of performing arts as a profession. He ran such a supportive and professional process that I realized I wanted to continue performing and directing.”
4. He’ s worked with the best of the best.“ I have been very lucky to be involved with some very satisfying productions with some wonderful and talented artists. Some of my favorite acting roles have been George in All My Sons, directed by Arthur Miller’ s son Bob Miller, Tom in The Glass Menagerie, and Fred in A Musical Christmas Carol. Some of my favorite directing credits include Into the Woods at the Arsht Center in Miami with Tituss Burgess as the witch, the regional premieres of Next to Normal and In the Heights with the company I co-founded, Carrnivale Theatrics, and Les Miserables and The Little Mermaid at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center.” Closer to home, he recently acted in A Musical Christmas Carol at PCLO and can be seen in Prime Stage’ s upcoming production of 1984.
5. He knows dreams take hard work. Fortunato reminds current students, and the rest of us, that achieving dreams takes bravery and tenacity:“ Take every opportunity presented to you. Opportunity is rarely convenient.”
Get to Know BWSD Alumni will feature five things to learn about a Baldwin-Whitehall School District graduate in each issue. If you’ d like to make a recommendation for a BHS graduate to feature in a future issue, contact the Office of the Superintendent at 412.884.6300.
Swords and Songs Delight in BHS Production of Zorro – April 5-8, 2017
This year’ s Baldwin High School production will be the Pittsburgh premiere of the musical Zorro.
Director Jason Coll is always looking for lesser-known works that will be fresher to the cast and the audience alike. Though Zorro ran for years in London and Paris, only a handful of productions have been staged in the United States. The musical Zorro is inspired by the 2005 novel Zorro, written by Chilean author Isabel Allende. The musical features vibrant music by the Gipsy Kings and John Cameron, and a book by Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson. Flamenco music, with many songs in Spanish, transports the audience to nineteenth-century California. The production is ambitious, featuring a cast of nearly 60 students. The director notes that the production is a big show, featuring plenty of fast-paced dance choreography, fight choreography, and special effects.
Zorro is played by Nick Cortazzo, whom many will remember from last year’ s production of Big Fish. Also featured are Morgan Traud as Luisa, David Johnston as Ramon, Logan Snyder as Sergeant Garcia, and Katie Zemaitis as Inez the Gypsy.
Performances will be held April 5 – 8th at 7:00 p. m. in the Regis V. Shalley Auditorium at Baldwin High School. Tickets are $ 10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance through ZorroBHS. com. aldwin-Whitehall
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