“Her Song”

ANTI BULLYING PSA MUSICAL:  Bullying in our schools has become a nationwide epidemic and a topic of discussion for all Boards of Education.

STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT  is addressing this frightening issue with a new PSA musical,  “HER SONG”.   The musical will highlight the severity of bullying while it educates and entertains our audience.  A primary goal is to educate adults on what to look for: Is your child being bullied? Could your child be the bully? What do I do?  Who do I go to?

“HER SONG” centers around the experience of Stephanie, a shy high school student who auditions for the annual talent show.  Her audition isn’t very good and another student ends up capturing it on her cell phone and posts it on social media, which spreads like wildfire.  The audience watches Stephanie cry herself to sleep.  Ian, a friend of hers, ends up appearing in a dream to show her the different situations of why people bully and the struggles that they are going through behind the scenes.

The group has been rehearsing once a week since Jan 22.  At the first rehearsal (with a cast of 30) Colin Sheehan asked “How many of you have been bullied”?  28 raised their hands.  Two had to change schools, and one of the adults in the cast still has scars from being bullied in 6th grade and having to change schools!  One student actor shared:

“As I stepped into the audition I felt an immediate connection with all the other kids and adults around me. I felt that we were all here for the same reason- to help change lives of other people. I too was a victim of a bullying, and just to do this show is an amazing way for me to express myself and my feelings towards this epidemic. Don’t be ashamed of your story, it will inspire others. I would like to thank my family for their continuous support, Michelle Natalino, Nick Fradiani Sr., Colin Sheehan and most importantly Jill Nesi. Music is such a huge outlet for kids to express themselves and be who they are! “Stay strong, because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but won’t rain forever”

Another participant added:

“We’re all in this together, and using our pain or misunderstanding to hurt others is not the answer.  This life is more fun when we got through it side by side.  Everyone has been bullied, and at times, been the bully.  I had to leave the public school when I was in 6th grade because of bullying. Being a part of HER SONG has been very special.  Watching these young kids share their experiences and create a space for everyone to exist in freely is wonderful.  Bullying is scarier than ever, especially in this social media age. People don’t need to hurt the way they do and I want to be a part of the solution, or at least the conversation.”

The goal of this 45 min PSA  premiere at the Ivoryton Playhouse is to get both students and adults to recognize these situations and to get bystanders to be up-standers instead.  How can we help? What can we as adults do to model better behavior in our own lives? How can we work together, one voice at a time to STAND UP, SPEAK OUT, AND STOP BULLYING while creating CHAIN REACTION of kindness!

In recent years, a series of bullying-related suicides in the US and across the globe have drawn attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Though too many adults still see bullying as “just part of being a kid,” it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide. Many people may not realize that there is also a link between being a bully and committing suicide.

​What better way for people to express themselves through song? Founded by 4-time Emmy nominee singer songwriter Jill Nesi, Stand Up and Speak Out was created to raise awareness about the bullying epidemic around the world today by connecting through music. Stand Up and Speak Out are producing the anti-bullying musical “Her Song” to help inform the public about the bullying issue in schools as well as entertain people from all generations.

WWW.STANDUPANDSPEAKOUTMUSICAL.COM

PRODUCER: JILL NESI – 4 time Emmy Nominated Songwriter

DIRECTOR: COLIN SHEEHAN – Events, Benefits, & Theatre Producer/Director
Les Miserables, “The Wendy Williams Show”, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”, R Family Vacations & Seaview Productions

MUSIC COMPOSED BY: JILL NESI & NICK FRADIANI SR.

CHOREOGRAPHER: MICHELLE  NATALINO

School performances:

Thursday, May 11th       10:00am & 12:30pm
Friday, May 12th             10:00am & 12:30pm

Public performances – tickets $15 all ages:

Saturday, May 13th         11:00am & 2:00pm
Sunday,  May 14th           7:00pm

To purchase tickets for the public performances, please follow this link.

If you would like to know more information or become involved in Stand Up and Speak Out please email jillnesi@aol.com