For two days last May, Middle School performers brought big energy and heart to the stage with Newsies Jr., an adaptation of the hit 2012 Broadway musical and 1992 Disney film. 

The story follows charismatic newsboy Jack Kelly, who rallies his fellow “newsies” to strike when newspaper publishers raise prices at the boys’ expense. Through courage, solidarity, and song and dance, the newsies discover that they are stronger together and can create a movement to fight for what’s right. 

For then-sixth grader Jackson Lightsey, the show was a transformative experience. “I was new to acting, and this was my first musical,” he said. “Even though I struggled at times, everyone in the cast helped me. Newsies helped me grow past my fear of being on stage and taught me to be more social. I also made many new friends.” 

Lena Polite, then in seventh grade, had a similar experience. “It increased my confidence and made me comfortable singing in front of a large audience,” she said. “My favorite part was getting to know the cast and deepening my friendships.” 

Director Michael Roche praised the skill and spirit of the cast and crew. “The talent on stage and behind the scenes for the Middle School show was exceptional, and one of the most motivated and self-disciplined groups I've had the pleasure to work with,” he said. “And what's awesome is the cast and crew are only going to get better each year. We are truly lucky to have them involved in the performing arts.” 

During spring break, from March 20 - March 25, the Penn Charter Upper School Performing Arts Department took our a cappella group, the Quakers Dozen, and members of the Upper School Jazz Band (named Cali Jazz) to Los Angeles. A whopping 70 students, chaperones and tour directors attended the trip, which included opportunities for them to showcase their musical talent in the City of Angels. Quakers Dozen performed at City Walk at Universal Studios Hollywood, while Cali Jazz brought down the house at Anaheim Backlot Stage in Disneyland.

In addition to their performances, students took advantage of Los Angeles' rich performing arts history by visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Warner Bros Studios, the Grammy Museum, the Oscar Museum, Universal Studios Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl and the Chinese Theatre. They also sampled the city's natural beauty, stopping by Santa Monica Pier, watching the sunset from Griffith Observatory and visiting the La Brea Tar Pits. 

"Performing at Disney was something I have never imagined I would do and It allowed me to see into a whole different side of the performing arts," said sophomore Layla Joshi. "I began to view our band as something that has a place in a professional setting and it was a super cool experience. My favorite place that we visited was the Griffith observatory. The observatory was on the top of a hill so you could look down on all the city lights coming from downtown as well as the hills surrounding the area. The observatory also had very foreign looking architecture which was interesting to see in one of the most "American" cities. The observatory was also a fun place for my friends and I to take photos while the sun was setting and I loved the view."

Sophomore Hudson Torrisi added: "Performing at Disney was an exhilarating experience where I had the opportunity to bond with some band members I had never spoken with before. This was my first time visiting California, specifically LA, and it is beautiful. Our group was given so many outstanding tours, such as the Universal Studios tour, where we walked by the set/town of the notorious Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. The trip was a perfect balance of planned guidance, information, and free exploring. Overall, this trip was perfectly curated to the interests we all had, all of the tours were fascinating, all of the food was amazing, and the time I had was truly memorable."

"The students were exceptional throughout the trip," said Brad Ford, director of Upper School Bands and one of the group's chaperones. "They were noted as being of high character and respected by other schools and vendors throughout. It was a truly magical experience."

From “Summer Nights” to “Greased Lightning,” PC students lit up the stage in a high-octane performance of Grease on March 7 and 8 in the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts. 

Set in the 1950s, the musical comedy Grease, with its story of the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies and rock-and-roll songs like “Born to Hand Jive” and “You’re the One That I Want,” captures the spirit of teenage friendship, love and rebellion—and Upper School students jumped at the chance to bring it to life. 

For Bailey Handler, then in 10th grade, the best part of being in the musical was her peers. “There was such an infectious energy in the cast that made me excited to come to rehearsal every day,” she said, “and I think that really showed in the performance.” 

Her classmate Robert Rankin recalled one of the funniest moments from rehearsals— learning the “Greased Lightning” choreography. “There is a part in the dance where some of the guys are doing pushups and at the same time have to jump over someone who is rolling underneath them,” Robert said. “When that happened for the first time, about half of the guys fell on top of the person rolling underneath them.” It didn’t take them long to perfect it, though, and the sequence (pictured above, left) was one of the most impressive parts of the show. 

Director Ari Baker praised the unique sense of community that developed throughout the production. “We had over 100 students working on stage, backstage and in the pit to bring Grease to life, and the community that they built during the production process was unparalleled,” she said. “The actors helped each other learn choreography, showed up to celebrate the musician’s work at pit rehearsals, and turned up on deck to gush about the stage crew's construction while the set was in progress. They wanted to be with each other and be there for each other.” 

With their dazzling performance, PC’s cast, pit and crew proved they’re the ones that we want! PC 

See more photos at flickr.com/penncharter/albums.

When teacher Monica Freely's kindergarten class was learning about jazz musician John Coltrane two years ago, the students became curious about the instrument he played. 

Freely reached out to Upper School band director Brad Ford, who happily provided a saxophone for further study. “Seeing the instrument up close fostered a lot of conversation and questions,” Freely said. “We asked Brad to organize an on-campus 'class trip' to the Kurtz Center.” 

And he did just that. A few weeks later, the kindergarteners marched over to the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, where they joined the Upper School Band rehearsing music from How to Train Your Dragon and a medley from Wicked. 

The young students also made a stop at rehearsals for the Quakers Dozen, one of Penn Charter's a capella groups, directed by Tony Yoo. Both younger and older students benefitted from this cross-divisional connection. 

“We wanted to give our younger students a glimpse of the performing arts program,” Yoo said, “but it's more than that. The Upper School students are able to highlight their best attributes and be excellent representatives for our community. Seeing QD standing among the kindergarteners and singing ‘As We Leave This Friendly Place’ highlighted the growth we can expect to see from our students." 

Now in the third year of this new tradition, Ford is eager to continue it. “Inviting our kindergarten students is a highlight of our band season,” he said. “My favorite part of the experience is watching the joy on the faces of all of the students in the room, especially when a kindergarten student gets to conduct the band on the podium.” 

In November, the Upper School presented A Trip to the Moon, a captivating vignette-style play set against the backdrop of the transformative summer of 1969. Told through 16 scenes, each inspired by iconic songs from the era, the production explored dreams that defined a generation—dreams of love, equality and the stars.

Featuring events like the moon landing and Woodstock, A Trip to the Moon brought history to life with humor, heart and a spirit of reflection. In the scene “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” a girl makes her case to attend Woodstock. In “Bad Moon Rising,” a woman fights for a job at NASA, while “Fortunate Son” depicts a soldier delivering a sobering reality check. The protest anthem “Come Together” rallies a group of activists, showing a young girl how to stand up for justice. 

“I joined this play just for fun,” senior Jack Davey said. “But being part of this production has become a highlight of my high school experience.” 

Director Eva Kay Noone was delighted by the the cast and crew. “The cast was large and diverse, with both seasoned actors and talented newcomers,” she said. “The students did an outstanding job with this script—they should be proud of their accomplishment!”