On Sept. 19, the Concert Choir, Bel Canto singers, and Show Choir participated in an optional trip to go see Hamilton, the hit Broadway show on one of the productions’ stops in Pittsburgh. On show day, students departed from the high school around 4 pm, and headed into the city to kick off the night.
Before the actual show began, the choirs made a stop at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, which was included in the price of their ticket. They got to pick from one of five food options and walk around Station Square for a bit before returning to the bus. Once at the Benedum Theater, students toured around the venue to see the architecture for themselves.
“We always like to go see the shows with our students when they come to Pittsburgh,” said choral director, Bridget Faulk. “This year it was Hamilton, and I felt that it was very valuable due to its connections with the history courses here at Norwin, and with the opportunity to see such a high-level performance to step up the bar of the quality of our own performances.”
Mrs. Faulk spoke highly of the performance, and so did a great deal of the students who attended with her.
“I just love taking the students out,” said Faulk, “and I believe that not all learning happens inside of the classroom or in this building and it was great to show my students something outside of our own walls.”
Additionally, some students pointed out specific details they enjoyed of the show.
“My favorite character from the show is Eliza Hamilton,” said Show Choir member Ashley Baker. “Her character to me demonstrated such a strong representation of womanhood. She has amazing songs and tells such a deep story.”
The trip also seemed to have some unexpected benefits for some students. Serena Borrelli, who is playing Angelica Schuyler in the theatre company’s Fall Showcase, spoke on how she was able to use her experience on the trip to better her own performance.
“It actually helped so much,” Borrelli said, “because now I know how to better act out her character. It gave me the context I needed to put that into the show.”
Some students, on the flip side, had been previously acquainted with Hamilton before the trip.
“Ever since I was younger I always loved going to the Benedum with my family,” said senior Maura Henaghan, Vice President of Bel Canto. “Addi and I also love the show and we immediately knew that this would be a great opportunity to get everyone together.”
The overall feedback of the show was incredible. The choirs enjoyed the performance, dinner beforehand, getting to sightsee around Pittsburgh, and being together with both their friends and new faces.
