Massena Central School recognizing grad who starred on Broadway

Oct. 24—MASSENA — A 2009 Massena Central High School graduate who went on to star on Broadway before her death will be recognized Thursday night in the high school auditorium.

A portrait of Stephanie Bissonnette will be hung alongside other individuals who had an affiliation with the district and who excelled in theater arts, including Hal Smith, Guy "Chip" Lamson and others.

"Stephanie was an alumni of MCHS who made it all the way to Broadway where she featured in the musical 'Mean Girls.' After an illness, Stephanie tragically passed away. It will be our honor to remember one of our alumni as we open our new performance space," Principal Alan C. Oliver said. "Stephanie's family will be on hand to mark the dedication of her portrait, which will hang from the night of the 26th forward in the auditorium."

Bissonnette, the valedictorian of her graduating class, died last December from a rare form of brain cancer. Prior to her death, board of education members had agreed to recognize her in the high school auditorium because of her prominence in the theater arts field.

"We received a recognition request for Stephanie Bissonnette, who is a former student in the district, and she was a valedictorian in 2009 who has become quite a well-known Broadway player. The request came forward from Mr. (Christopher) Lincoln that when the auditorium is reconstructed, it would be very nice to honor Stephanie with a picture on the wall. We all agreed that would be great," former Superintendent Patrick H. Brady told board of education members in December.

Three days after the board meeting, the daughter of Bernard and Cathy Bissonnette died following a yearslong battle with brain cancer. She was 32 and had been diagnosed in 2019.

She began dancing at age 5 and was a member of Massena's Tap-To-Toe Studio of Dance competition team. Bissonnette was also a member of the school Concert Band, Pep Band, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Mixed Chorus, Women's Chorus, Harmonettes select vocal group and the Vocal Jazz group. She had roles in the school productions of "The King and I," "Kiss Me Kate," "Grease," "The Music Man" and "42nd Street."

Following graduation, she pursued a career in professional dance. After graduating from Point Park University's Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Bissonnette worked with Royal Caribbean Entertainment and moved to New York. She choreographed shows for the Muny, Seven and Riverside theaters and the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

According to her obituary in Playbill, Bissonnette made her Broadway debut in the original cast of "Mean Girls the Musical," playing Dawn Schweitzer.

"It was during an aerial tumbling pass within the choreography of the musical that Ms. Bissonnette first recognized what she described as a 'twinge' in her brain; four days later, she was rushed into surgery," the obituary reads.

She remained with "Mean Girls the Musical" until the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down Broadway. She was also one of the featured stars of "Ensemble," a documentary about modern Broadway dancers dealing with the shutdown.

Bissonnette also participated in When The Lights Are Bright Again, a book of letters that memorialized the moment of the shutdown across Broadway, which donates directly to the Entertainment Community Fund.

She also appeared in music videos including Keith Urban's "Never Comin' Down."

Also on Thursday night, today's stars will be taking the stage as part of Rocktober, the annual event that showcases student talents and features a live band to accompany the students.

"This event is always a great show that features our students and their remarkable talent. This year will also be the first time that we are going to be able to show off some of what our new auditorium can do," Oliver said.

District officials will also cut a ribbon to officially mark the end of the $49.6 million capital project. The ribbon-cutting is at 7 p.m., followed by the dedication of Bissonnette's portrait at 7:15. Rocktober hits the stage at approximately 7:30. Tickets for Rocktober, a fundraising effort for the school's Music Department, are available at the door for $10.