More than 150 students were among nine Penn performing arts groups that took to the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City in the fifth “Toast to Dear Old Penn” showcase.
Featured were Fuerza Latinx music group, Off the Beat a cappella group, PennSori k-pop fusion a cappella group, Penn Masti South Asian fusion dance team, Quadramics theatre troupe, Simply Chaos stand-up comedy collective, Soundworks Tap Factory tap dancing group, and Penn Dance with the Penn Glee Club.
Hundreds of Penn alumni, students, and staff attended the two-plus hour event on Dec. 8, along with family and friends. And 60 students who won free tickets in a lottery joined the performers on the buses travelling to New York City.
“It was an excellent show. The students really brought it this year. They took the stage and they were fantastic,” says Laurie McCall, director of Penn’s Platt Student Performing Arts House. “The students performed so professionally; it was as if we were watching a Broadway production.”
Fourth-year Christina Cunningham—chair of the Theater Arts Council, part of the Platt House student Performing Arts Council—was one of the students who kicked off the performance with introductions.
“It is an incredible opportunity to be able to perform at Carnegie Hall and I think our students did a great job. Everyone was so excited to be there and grateful for this experience,” says Cunningham, an architecture major in the College of Arts and Sciences from Lake Wales, Florida.
“As college students to have the ability to perform at such a historic and well-recognized theater within the scope of our extracurriculars is something I think most people don't expect to be able to do during their time at Penn,” she says. “I think is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to able to perform on that stage.”
Cunningham was one of the lucky lottery winners for tickets two years ago. “I remember just sitting in the audience and thinking what an opportunity; I wish I could be on that stage someday,” she says. “It was electrifying. It was wonderful.”
In a new twist, the stand-up comics in Simply Chaos were the emcees during the performances this year. “It was a risk,” McCall says, “but it worked out well. People were hilariously laughing at some points.”
Most of the groups were in the showcase for the first time. Applications are in the spring and the Platt House Advisory Council determines the selection. The choice is based on a number of factors, says McCall, aiming for a variety in the types of performances while making sure to have new ensembles to give as many student groups the opportunity as possible.
“It really hit the heartstrings,” McCall says. “It put the focus back on the students and what the heart and soul of Penn really is.”
Additional photos are available on the Platt Performing Arts House Flickr account.
