LONG BEACH, CA- After a successful night in the crowd-packed auditorium, Bruins worked hard, and did a wonderful job performing on the night of November 15, 2022. 

“It was exciting, it was entertaining, and it made me proud,” said Curtis Heard, the teacher of these talented kids. 

Parents and friends were blown away by each performance. The musical started at 7:30 PM, having two acts make up the full show, which ended at 9 PM. The entire cast opened the show with a group number, captivating the audience immediately.  Throughout the whole show, there were lots of solos and duets that did really well. 

Micah Dysart (Senior), in the Arts Pathway, expressed how happy he was singing with Lily Graff (senior) in their rendition of Agony from the musical Into the Woods. Seeing as Dysart had already known the song beforehand, he was prepared for the performance. Despite having to find a new partner for his duet, the show went on. “It was thrilling; I had a great time,” said Dysart.

Many popular musicals were on the list, ranging from Wicked to Newsies, with gems like Little Shop of Horrors and Grease added into the mix. Your Daddy’s Son (from Ragtime), sung by Ruby Denmion, was a show-stopping performance.  The intensity in her voice was riveting, bringing everyone in the auditorium to a cheering ovation.

Of course, that can also be said for senior Quetzal Alcaraz’s version of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Le Miserable) or Lauren Tiangco and Katana Saumier-Sugita’s duet for Come to Your Senses (Tick, Tick, Boom). It was a night packed with talented individuals and plenty of cheers.

“My expectations were exceeded… it was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be” stated Brooklyn Honda, who had been part of the audience and was amazed by how different each song was, as well as the different message from each one.

Among the people watching was principal Mrs. Caverly, who found the event to be a spectacular experience, saying, “There’s so much talent on the student team.” 

She stated that throughout the whole thing she felt exhilarated, and was proud of the students, along with crediting Mr. Heard for his leadership when organizing the show.

The first act was enough to leave people wanting for more, especially when they began the second act with American Idiot played by local Wilson band Oddhaus (Nate Bade-Marquez, Michael Wenger, and Julian Alcaraz). They kicked the massive box wall down and made everyone’s experience of the show memorable.

Julian Alcaraz, Nate Bade-Marquez, and Michael Wenger’s band opened Act 2 by performing “American Idiot” from Green Day. 

Overall, words can and will be used to express just how much fun it was watching fellow students up on stage singing their hearts out, with much more to come from the Wilson Theater Department.