Benefit show honors late teacher and attracts over 400 attendees

The Chester Elementary School gymnasium was packed to the brim last Thursday as a capacity crowd attended “The Lion King Kids,” a benefit show in honor of Lori P. Horaz Fedor, the late professor at Goshen High School.

The musical is the latest in a decade-long tradition of benefit shows in remembrance of Fedor. Production for “The Lion King Kids” began in September 2022 and featured 69 fifth and fourth-grade performers.

“I’ve done singing and dancing before, so it was natural, except with more people,” said Charlotte, a fifth grader who played Timon.

“It was a little nerve-wracking...I was only Scar for a few weeks,” said Lily, the fifth grader who played Scar.

Chester music teacher and show director Rachel Scali said she couldn’t be any happier with how the night went.

“I was so proud of the students and the families that came and helped with the show. It was really just a beautiful combination of hard work and love that went into it. And it was just a wonderful community evening,” Scali said.

Other benefit shows that Scali and the school district produced include “Willy Wonka Kids,” “Anne Kids,” and “The Sound of Music Jr.” In Scali’s words, these productions help Fedor “keep her name alive through the spirit of music.”

“She was just such a brave, strong, fearless woman that was so inspiring and made things fun, and was very professional in her dealing and the creations that she put on stage,” Scali said.

Part of the show’s ticket sales go towards the Lori P. Horaz Fedor Scholarship, an annual award given to a student who best exemplifies vocal music. The remaining proceeds goes to the Chester Academy Chorus and will fund the group’s music-related field trips and workshops.

“We go on Broadway trips, they’ve done NYSSMA [New York State School Music Association] in the past, we’ve done Broadway music and movement workshops. So they have a lot of different professional experiences that the fundraising helps to fund, especially for students who might not otherwise be able to afford to go,” Scalia said.

The Chester Academy will be hosting its spring concert on May 23 and 24. More information on this and other upcoming events can be found at https://www.chesterufsd.org/.