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Inspiring Big Apple precedes Selkirk musical
By Gwen Davies
Bring It On showing at 7 p.m., April 11-14 at McKim Theatre
On March 18, 25 Selkirk Secondary School students left Kimberley for New York; I was one of them.
During our time in the Big Apple we saw three Broadway musicals, one jazz show at the legendary Blue Note, took four different tours around NYC, ate at amazing and famous restaurants, and slept for about 10 hours total. By the end of those five days I have concluded that this trip was the best Music Program trip I have ever had the pleasure to go on.
Our first tour was a look into many of the famous Broadway theatres. We were taught about which theatres produced amazing art and which made the biggest flops in musical history. We learned how the theatres developed through their years in New York, and we got insight on the best and scariest ghost occurrences in each theatre.
The next tour happened in the middle of a blizzard in Greenwich Village. We saw the gay bar where the Stonewall Riot took place; an amazing monument and a pivotal moment in the fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. We also saw many important buildings from the late 1960s and early ‘70s rock and roll era.
Our third tour was in Central Park, where we saw many buildings occupied by celebrities like Madonna and Jerry Seinfeld. That tour concluded in the Central Park Zoo where parts of the film Madagascar were shot. This was very exciting for many students in the group.
The last tour we took we headed downtown where we saw the famous Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. We visited Battery Park and the 9/11 memorial site, which was beautiful, moving, and a perfect way to remember the lives which were lost in the tragedy.
Being a musical nerd, I personally love musical theatre, so when I heard we were going to attend three different Broadway musicals I think I was set on going on this trip.
Our second night in New York we attended a newer musical called Come From Away. This musical is about the residents of Gander, Newfoundland taking in 7,000 people when 38 planes from all over the world were rerouted there after the attack on 9/11. The show was full of amazing performers who sang heartbreaking songs yet continued to add a beautiful amount of comedy that made the show very fun to watch. As a young artist, that night will stay in my heart forever as the night I watched my first Broadway musical.
The second musical we attended was a classic.
Wicked has been running on Broadway for 15 years now and the pure talent of all the performers in this show astounded me. It was amazing to see the backstory of one of my favourite childhood movies. I would say if you are ever in New York, Wicked is a must see.
Mean Girls the Musical was the last performance we watched, and to be honest, I was not expecting much from this one, but I was proven wrong the second it started. Mean Girls is based on the movie, and Tina Fey did a great job keeping the story we all love while kicking it up a notch by adding some great musical numbers.
The New York trip is over and spring has started, meaning Selkirk is putting on a musical ourselves called Bring It On, loosely based on the early 2000’s movie of the same name.
It is showing 7 p.m. April 11-14 at McKim Theatre.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children under 10. They are available at Selkirk Secondary and Snowdrift Cafe in Kimberley, and Lotus Books in Cranbrook.
I speak on behalf of the cast and crew when I say it is the hardest show we’ve done in a long time, maybe ever. We all hope you come see it, and I guarantee you will enjoy the show.
Lead image: The 25 Selkirk students in NY with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. Photo submitted
– Gwen Davies is in her fourth year in the Selkirk Secondary School Music Program.
