Our theater department is a vital facet of the Spartan community. Every year, their fall play and spring musical pack our auditorium and get Spartans buzzing. How do WS students get so good? By watching the pros. That’s why the best theater students go on a 22-hour trip to New York City to watch Broadway shows.
No trip to New York City is complete without visiting the attractions that bring in droves of tourists each year. Fortunately, the theater department allowed the students to break up into groups and go to many of the city’s most notable areas, such as Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Saks Fifth Avenue and Carnegie Hall.
Central Park happened to be one of the most popular places to go. While it’s easy to get lost in such a sea of people, one group of students decided to partake in the activity and use their artistic talents in the process.
“When we were in Central Park, some people in my group were in choir, so we walked through Central Park and sang the songs we’ve been working on. That’s not something we get to do every day,” said sophomore Elia Nash.
Visiting New York City turned out to be a surreal experience for many more students. Even for those who have already visited.
“The sightseeing part of the trip was absolutely jaw-dropping. It made me feel so alive in a sense because it was always something I had seen in movies or on T.V. and now I can see it in real life,” said freshman Erin O’Brien.
The main attraction for the trip, however, was Broadway. This was a theater trip, after all. The two musicals the students saw were The King and I and Something Rotten! chosen for their contrasting styles.
“Both were wildly different stylistically, scenically and in performance and concept. Seeing two different plays allows them to see the breadth that Broadway theatre can contain,” said theater teacher Bernie DeLeo.
While both were well-liked, Something Rotten! was the crowd favorite.
“It’s set in Shakespearean time. You think it’s going to be very renaissance and classical, but it quickly turns into a musical number that is modern. It throws in references to older musicals,” said senior Graham Morriss. “It’s a great big ball of awesome.”
While the element of surprise was what really drew him in, another student loved the musical due to a more evident, popular characteristic of the show: the humor.
“I like laughing and it made me laugh a lot. It was just amazing,” said O’Brien.
Regardless of the different interpretations of the shows, the students agreed that seeing Broadway up close and personal let them better understand the world of theater and the work that goes into it. Just as their teacher had hoped.
For instance, the radiant energy of the stage, both literally and figuratively, that permeated the students that day created an ambiance that was quite inspiring.
“It taught me that the more energy you use, the better the musical,” said Morriss. “The energy is shared with people onstage, so if another actor sees your energy, you will be amped up and that makes a better musical or play.”
Both productions showed the importance of one key value applicable to all walks of life: hard work. The massive effort on and off screen did not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
“You really get to see how complex it is in the big world,” said O’Brien. “You see how hard the people there have to work to get to where they are.”
This trip will prove to be an unforgettable experience for those who went. They got to marvel one of the most iconic cities in the world and live out their passion together. Little else can rival the raw emotional power that brought an already close group of high school theater students much closer.
“We definitely get along together,” said Nash. “We all love each other. We’re all a big family.”