Gallery • 5 Photos

Will Sutton

Sophomore Nick Thompson takes in the view from the High Line.

The sun had just risen on Friday, April 7th, and a coach bus packed with 50-odd students and teachers was cruising south towards New York City. Most of the high school students were sleeping or silently scrolling through their phones. Sophomore Nick Thompson acknowledged that the bus was “mellow”, but expressed his excitement for the coming excursion, predicting, “It’s gonna be pretty- as the kids say- ‘lit fam’.”

As it turns out, Nick was right. By most accounts, the Drama Club’s annual trip to New York City could be considered “lit”.

That very Friday night, after a fascinating visit to the Museum of Moving Image, the club attended the Broadway revival of Miss Saigon at Broadway Theatre. The tragic tale of lovers brought together and torn apart by the Vietnam War left many, such as Sophomore Andersson Perry, impressed.

“I liked the mix of the historical aspect with a plot that blended a lot of different genres. I was impressed at how much information and choreography they could cram into one show, especially the helicopter levitating above the stage,” he remarked, eloquently adding, “Also, communist acrobats. ‘Nough said.”

The next day, the club attended a workshop, where some worked with a Broadway actor and music director to put together a song and dance from Miss Saigon. Other students attended a makeup workshop, where they focused on recreating designs from The Lion King on Broadway.

The club then arrived at the August Wilson Theater to see a matinee performance of Groundhog Day the Musical.  Based on the 1993 Bill Murray film, Groundhog Day tells the story of a self-centred weatherman who is forced to live the same day- Groundhog Day- over and over again. Junior Justin Hull enjoyed the show immensely. Speaking outside the theatre, he admitted, “I didn’t expect much except for some light comedy, but it provided much more. I was laughing the entire show, and it left me with a very heartfelt message about the importance of human kindness.”

After dinner at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, the drama club headed to Chicago City Limits, an improv group that performed a private improv comedy show, with plenty of audience participation. The club then returned to the hotel, tired after a long, though hilarious, day.

Sunday, April 9th, was the Drama Club’s last day in New York City. It began with some time for students to explore the High Line and Chelsea Market, both located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan.

The High Line is an elevated train track, repurposed as a public park. Below it is Chelsea Market, a sprawling collection of shops specializing in tasty foods, as well as books and local goods.

After enjoying the High Line and Chelsea Market for roughly an hour and a half, the Drama Club drove to Lincoln Center, where students and chaperones went on guided tours of the oldest performing-arts center in the United States. After hour-long tours, the club grabbed lunch at Turnstile, a subway station-turned-market, and headed off to see the final show, A Bronx Tale.

The final musical, A Bronx Tale, was performed at the Longacre Theatre. Based off of the 1993 movie of the same name, A Bronx Tale told the true story of Chazz Palminteri, an Italian boy who gets caught up in the gangster scene of 1960s New York. Junior Shea Kushnir said the show was “very engaging, and had a lot of surprising moments.”

After A Bronx Tale, the club boarded the bus and headed home, with three unforgettable days in New York City behind them.