Broadway showcase encourages student creativity

Dancing+Divas--+Students+sing+with+an+accompanying+dance+routine+during+the%0ABroadway+Showcase.+The+showcase+took+place+on+February+8+in+the+school+cafeteria.

Leslie Imse

Dancing Divas– Students sing with an accompanying dance routine during the Broadway Showcase. The showcase took place on February 8 in the school cafeteria.

Jessica Rickis

As a way to bring out creativity amongst students, the Broadway Showcase took place on February 8 in the high school cafeteria. The school hosted the event with catered food from local restaurants, help from the Audio Visual Department with equipment, and a variety of student performances.

The school has hosted the Broadway Showcase annually for the past nine years and continues to do so with hopes that students will continue to share their musical talents.

“We developed the event because Broadway is a whole genre of choral music that we don’t do usually in our concerts, and it’s a great way to showcase individual talents while also being really uplifting. It’s been a tradition that’s really popular,” Music Department Chair Leslie Imse said.

Previous to the event, students in the choir, as well as some instrumentalists, were able to partake in the auditions process. They then worked alongside music teachers as well as other participants to prepare and incorporate the style of Broadway into their pieces.

“I, along with the Chamber Singers class, rehearsed our songs as an ensemble which included ‘For Forever’ from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, and ‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent. We worked to mesh the unique Broadway sound with our choir-trained voices. We were also able to work with a dance teacher on original choreography that accompanied our performance,”senior Natalie Goodman said.

Student performers got the chance to showcase their talents in front of an audience of other students, teachers, and family members.

“The showcase was such an upbeat experience, and I was amazed by all my classmates’ talent. I especially enjoyed singing the song ‘Seasons of Love’ because it created such a wonderful atmosphere when the whole company sang together,” senior Julia Pignatella said.

The staff continues to host the event with hopes that students will continue to bring out their creativity and have the opportunity to share their musical talents.

“This performance opportunity is a one of a kind aspect that is unique to the FHS Music Department. We are one of the only towns in Connecticut that have an event like this and it makes me grateful not only the town I live in but, the people that live in it,” sophomore Jack Dunphy said.