High school students in the performing arts need our support more than ever.

Among them are the Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHS) musical theater students.

With the recent budget freeze, hundreds of volunteer hours by students, parents and friends have made this year’s production of “Starmites” come alive.

In addition to this commitment and generosity, I want to acknowledge the important role of Laird Thornton, TJHS musical theater director for the past 20 years.

Thornton himself is a performer, primarily of musical and opera productions. He is also the artistic director of the Federal Way Chorale. Among his career highlights is music director of the Puget Sound Musical Theatre for six years.

Thornton helped create the TJHS music theatre program many years ago. Today, his program is known for its quality. In fact, TJHS musical theater groups have received three awards and numerous nominations from Seattle’s 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards program, a high school version of the Tony Awards.

These achievements are amazing when you consider the school’s inadequate and outdated performance facility and a budget that has been about half that of other schools. Despite this, Thornton’s students thrive and succeed, and for the past eight years, students from other schools have attended TJHS to learn under his direction.

Join us in supporting the musical theater students’ determination and talent by attending “Starmites,” a rollicking show by Barry Keating and Stuart Ross. “Starmites” has a positive message that will delight audiences of all ages. Upcoming performances are May 8-10 and May 15–17. For show times and ticket information, visit the TJHS Web site: http://schools.fwps.org/tj/.

Lori Santamaria, Auburn