Larry Cervi, a much loved instructor, director, choreographer, and creator of the East End Kids, whose lifetime devotion to the performing arts molded generations of young performers, is passing away, much saddened the Pittsburgh arts and education community.
Though his impact will last for decades to come via the many lives he touched, his death signals the close of a remarkable era in local theatre and arts education.
For over six decades, Larry Cervi mentored teens in the arts, gaining notoriety as a highly compassionate mentor as well as a demanding professional.
Though he always tempered those ideals with compassion and encouragement, he valued discipline, preparation, and excellence. Many students remember how he urged them to develop as assured, accountable people in addition to as performers since he saw ability in them before they saw it in themselves.
From the University of Pittsburgh, he got a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and a Master's in Theater, certifications anchoring a career driven by passion and service.
Before spending 21 significant years teaching Speech and Drama at Churchill Area High School, Larry started his career as an English teacher at Swissvale High School.
There, he also produced plays that shaped many students' life. His passion for performance and sharing knowledge extended to the Boyce Campus of the Community College of Allegheny County.
Larry's impact extended far beyond the confines of a typical classroom. Directed competitive drill teams, he served as choreographer for two prestigious university marching bands, adding theatrical narration and accuracy to large-scale events.
In 1986, he opened the Larry Cervi School of Performing Arts, giving young performers a place to seriously practice dance, acting, and musical theater. Four years later, he founded the East End Kids, a professional adolescent song-and-dance company that came to define quality in the area.
Numerous CLO Gene Kelly Award nominations showed his vision and leadership when directing high school musicals at Gateway, Riverview, and West Allegheny High Schools.
Leaving his creative footprints all across western Pennsylvania, he also oversaw events at North Hills, Montour, and the Jewish Community Center. Larry's CV showed not only volume—over 100 spectacular and musical shows—but also steady quality and heart.
Larry never really stopped apart, even after his performing arts school closed. For East End Productions and several high school dramas, he continued acting directing as well as teaching and artistic directing for the East End Kids.
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