Taking center stage at the induction dinner Saturday, Feb. 13, at the school will be educators along with students who have made their mark on the local, regional, national and international level. Ticket sales for the event have closed.
The effort to establish a hall fame at the Performing Arts Center has been under way since late 2014. When the foundation had been laid and the call for nominations went out, more than 50 were received and continue to be submitted, according to the Hall of Fame’s board of directors. David Thomas, the school performing arts center manager, leads the board.
The inductees, he said, “have made a major mark in the performing arts and have put Huber Heights on the map.”
Three educators with more than 75 years of drama, choir and instrumental music — Jerry Seiple, Basil Fett and Richard Wiggenhorn — are among the inductees. “We felt (they) definitely had to go in first as our first choices starting on the educational level and then from there we looked at students who have made a difference in the performing arts,” Thomas said.
The other inductees include Dallas Burnett, actor, producer and director and musicians Kim and Kelley Deal, all who have performed on an international level. They will be joined by Jim McCutcheon and Jeanette Popp, who Thomas said, “have given so much to the community and to the area in Dayton. They both have sparked interest, not only in kids but also adults.”
The inductees:
- Basil Fett, a retired teacher, choir director at Wayne High School.
- Richard Wiggenhorn, retired teacher and band director at Wayne High School.
- Jerry Seiple, retired teacher and drama director at Wayne High School.
- Dallas Burnett, worked as a radio/nightclub DJ before moving to New Zealand, where he became a voiceover artist and later actor and producer.
- Kim Deal and Kelley Deal, identical twins, who found a love for music early. They played local venues such as Trolley Stop and Ground Round. Kim was a member of the influential 1980s rock band The Pixies (based in Boston) before she co-founded The Breeders, a 1990s alternative-rock group that included Kelley on lead guitar. Both women have played in other music projects, as well.
- Jim McCutcheon is an educator, singer and musician known as The Guitar Man.
- Jeanette Popp is an educator and dancer best known as owner for 34 years of Jeannette Popp School of Dance
In addition to Thomas the hall of fame board of directors includes Andy Fehrenbach, vice president; Lyle Whybrew, secretary; Lois Schneider, treasurer; and Tanya Best and Missy Green, members at large.
Donations can be sent to HHPAHOF, Box 24023, Huber Heights, Ohio, 45424-0023. For more information, go online to http://hhpahof.org.
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