Union Building Trades Bring Sound of Music to Baldwin High School

From left to right, Josh Leon, Ben Robson, Erin Zarisnak, Shawn Russman

To be perfectly honest, union building trades didn’t bring the “Sound of Music” to Baldwin High School. But they did make it possible for students to present “The Wizard of Oz.”

Renovation of Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh’s South Hills has been a colossal undertaking since its groundbreaking in January of 2006. With its newly completed 385 foot retaining wall and sculpted, curved glass entranceway, the high school has taken on an almost Emerald City like appearance for motorists traveling along Route 51. What is not as evident, however, is the strikingly modern interior of the building (including state of the art computer-ready class rooms and new swimming pool with observation deck) or the coordinated work that had to occur to make this year’s musical production possible.

For years Baldwin High School has presented elaborate musical theater productions, many of which were recognized and honored by the prestigious Gene Kelly Awards. Planning for each year’s production normally begins in late summer and continues throughout the fall and winter months with auditions followed by elaborate scenery design, construction and continuous rehearsals.

The process is time consuming, extremely labor intensive and requires total commitment and dedication by staff, students and volunteers. The price tag for bringing a quality production from inception to a successful five-day performance run is a high one, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000.

Because of the school’s reconstruction, it wasn’t until the Fall of 2008 that the Baldwin High School Music Department staff could announce with certainty that the spring musical theater performance would be the “Wizard of Oz.” Blueprints for set design began almost immediately and rehearsals commenced in early January. There were a multitude of challenges inherent in orchestrating the complex musical production and even greater challenges arose as building renovations progressed, in particular the repair and restoration of the 15,000 square foot auditorium and lobby.

Although renovations needed to continue throughout many areas of the school, the production’s cost and complexity paired with strict timing deadlines made it crucial for the construction team to concentrate on completing the auditorium in ample time to allow on-stage set construction as well as acting, singing and dancing rehearsals.

“We work really hard for months to put the shows together and become like a family,” said Erin Zarisnak, one of two seniors chosen to play the lead role of Dorothy Gale. “Many of us have done musical theater since middle school and as seniors this is our very last chance to perform together. We would all have been simply devastated if we weren’t able to do the show.”

Crews and management teams from the construction manager, PJ Dick Incorporated, and others met weekly with the high school staff and parent volunteers to coordinate the effort and expedite the project’s completion.

Said PJ Dick Project Manager Joseph Brennan, “The renovation project was demanding and required five phases from demolition to construction of selected areas throughout the building. Safety of the staff and students in the school were of utmost importance and our crews needed to be flexible enough to keep the project on schedule while not disrupting day to day classes and student activities.”

Baldwin High School Music Director Kris Tranter added, “The kids really put their hearts and souls into these shows and it’s a huge event for them, their families and residents of Baldwin Whitehall. With renovations of the building in full-swing, we weren’t certain that we would be able to do a musical this year but the workers were good to their word and everything came together perfectly.”

Union building trade workers from multiple contractors worked tirelessly under a project labor agreement to complete the work on time and in time for this year’s musical, and some even donated their personal time and expertise to assist with set design and construction. It was a coordinated labor of love that required no “wizardry” to pull off--just hard work from hundreds of dedicated, skilled professionals.

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