Walking in the glamorous streets of New York City, students from Jazz Band and Theatre Ink visited museums, live concerts, and musicals during a trip to New York City from Jan. 25-26.
The formerly annual trip provided students the chance to explore the city, bond with one another over a mutual love of the arts, and watch Broadway shows and see museums.
According to Theatre Ink director Adam Brown, traveling with students outside of school is an incredible experience. “It’s really great going down with 50 kids and it’s just being with everyone in a different environment,” said Brown.
Senior Ellie Marchesseault, a member of the trip, said that meeting peers in an out-of-school environment was a unique experience. “I usually only see them at school, so it was really cool to be on a bus with them,” said Marchesseault.
The 55-person group took the four-hour journey to New York City at 7 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 25. Upon arrival, the group participated in a walking tour around the city led by Broadway actress turned tour guide Sherry Boone. The tour led them through Time Square and Central Park. After the tour, students were allowed to roam around Times Square.
The group went to dinner at the Gayles, where they were served by aspiring Broadway singers. According to junior Zadie Besev, being a student in the presence of the waiters was inspiring. “I think that I gained a lot of motivation for next year after seeing the amazing actors at Gayles,” said Besev.
Afterwards, Theatre Ink went to see “The Play That Goes Wrong,” a Broadway show about an amateur theater group playing a murder mystery, while the Jazz department saw Monty Alexander, a Grammy Award-nominated jazz pianist, at the Lincoln Center.
The group stayed the night at Secaucus, New Jersey, where students were made to share hotel rooms. Despite this, “The second we walked in the room, all of the awkwardness went away,” said sophomore Alex Santanastaso.
The following day, students visited the 9/11 memorial and watched a performance of “The Great Gatsby.”
