On Broadway

As the charter bus inched its way out of New York City, Gabe Ludes texted his mom to say he was headed home from the “trip of a lifetime.”
Ludes and 35 of his peers, all members of Coal City High School’s Drama Club spent four days over spring break taking in all the city has to offer—specifically its theatre scene.
Organized by drama club sponsor Jack Micetich, participants engaged in the ultimate theatre excursion. The educational trip allowed students to further explore careers in the theatre arts through interactive workshops with Broadway actors, tours of some of the city’s most famed theaters and performance venues and being part of the audience at not one, but four Broadway musicals.
After a nearly 17 hour bus ride, the first stop in the city was a walking tour of Central Park where students visited Strawberry Fields, an area that pays tribute to  former Beatle John Lennon and Bethesda Terrace and Fountain where the students gathered in the lower passage to perform an impromptu song from the school’s spring musical.
Following a trip down Fifth Avenue, the students headed to Times Square and the first of four musicals of the trip.
The students took in performances of “Waitress,” “Kinky Boots,” Aladdin” and “Mean Girls.”
The group toured Carnegie Hall where some of the world’s most famed orchestras, instrumentalists and vocalists have taken the stage, including Renee Fleming, Audra McDonald and Frank Sinatra.
There was a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall including a one-on-one with a Rockette, a view of the hydraulic stage and a peek into the secret art deco apartment constructed by Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel who brought the venue to life.
For many of the students the highlight of the trip was the workshops led by Broadway actors such as Lauryn Ciardullo, who appears in the ensemble of “Aladdin” as the understudy for Jasmine.
In addition to learning a dance from Disney’s hit show, the students also took part in an improv workshop and learned stage combat techniques.
One of the final stops on the trip was a tour of the historic New Amsterdam Theatre, owned and operated by Disney Theatrical Group.
After learning a bit of history about the space, students were able to step on to the stage and into a few of the costumes from some of Disney’s most popular stage productions including “Mary Poppins,” “Little Mermaid” and “Lion King.”
“This trip was such an amazing experience,” said DeKotah Rueger, who adds he can’t wait for the club’s next New York trip.
Micetich is planning to offer the trip every other year, so the next Broadway Bound adventure will be spring 2021. The planning has already started.