Colonie Central High School students and staff are taking the opportunity to remember a student whose life, love of music and charisma touched so many.
More than a month before Corey Womack’s signature humor and booming voice were to wash over audiences at this year’s school production of the musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, Womack died in a car accident.
The Feb. 19 accident happened a day after his 18th birthday. The car he was riding in crashed less than a half-mile from his home.
Womack would have played the off-stage voice ` and antics ` of Audrey II, the evil blood-sucking plant from space, whose plan is to take over the world.
His loss to the school and thespian community hit hard, but ` as he would have wanted ` the cast continued to grind through rehearsals and landed three students to fill the role of Audrey II.
As months of work culminates in four shows this week, South Colonie Dollars for Scholars will use profits from the sale of bottled water to fund a scholarship in Womack’s name.
`He was an amazing singer. I always told him he gave me the goose bumps when he sang,` said Erin Chesky, 18.
The two had been friends since Womack moved to the district in seventh grade.
Chesky, a senior at Colonie Central, had participated in several productions with Womack.
Womack was one of a handful of young men at the school willing to join productions and sing in the choir. He was the choir’s only `true bass,` Chesky said. And his abilities quickly landed him the lead in school plays and musical, including last year’s production of `Anything Goes.`
`Corey was fun to work with and very easy going. He was very laid back and on the money when he needed to be. Charismatic is a very overused word, but it works for him. After I got to know him, I called him my Ferris Bueller,` said production manager Edward Meagher. Meagher alternates from year-to-year on productions as manager and director.
Womack’s death was a great loss, he said.
Production cast and crew opted to keep Womack’s name on the production bill. He hasn’t been replaced; there are just three other students who wanted to play out his part, said Meagher.
`I was called by a friend. I found out that our chorus teacher wanted us to try out for the part,` said Brian Locks, 14, one of the new voices for Audrey II.
It wasn’t about replacing Womack, he said. The manager and director just wanted to spread the part out among other students.
The nonprofit scholarship fundraiser, Dollars for Scholars opted to honor Womack by raising money for a scholarship in Womack’s name.
Last year the organization raised $22,5000 to provide Colonie Central graduates with 32 scholarships, said Mary Ann Chesky, mother of Erin Chesky and fundraising coordinator for Dollars for Scholars.
`The kids like knowing their friend’s name goes on,` she said. `We don’t need the water money so I said, ‘Why don’t we give half of it for Corey,’ and then we figured we could give it all.`
The musical could sell an average of 400 tickets, Mary Ann Chesky said. The hope is most will pay the $1 for a bottle of water to establish Womack’s scholarship.
Performances of `Little Shop of Horrors` will be held at 7 p.m. March 22, 23 and 24 and 2 p.m. March 24 in the school auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5.
For information about the performance or about Dollars for Scholars, call the school at 459-1220.
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