![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Spring musical “42nd Street” taps the night away
The cast of “42nd Street” sang the number “Lullaby of Broadway” to convince Peggy Sawyer, played by Ellie Lang-Ree (12) last year, to take the place of Broadway legend Dorothy Brock in “Pretty Lady.” “42nd Street” featured a total of 41 performers from all four grades.
April 22, 2018
The cast of “42nd Street,” the first upper school spring musical performed in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center, held four showings from April 19 to 21.
A tap-based musical, “42nd Street” is set in New York during the Great Depression and features a small-town girl named Peggy Sawyer, who is new to the city. The plot invites the audience along her journey to find a spot in famous producer and director Julian Marsh’s show “Pretty Lady.” After landing a small role, Peggy is fired for accidentally tripping the lead, Dorothy Brock. Despite this setback, Peggy’s talent allows her to find her way back to the grand stage.
Director of Performing Arts Laura Lang-Ree, who directed the musical, said she chose the show for its varied elements.
“It’s perfect—it’s a show within a show about tenacity and love. It’s grand, it’s very beautiful and it gave us opportunities to show off all the different elements [of the theater],” she said.
While most of the cast began rehearsing in February, tappers began choreography and classes at the beginning of the school year in late August and early September.
“The first stages are always learning lines, but as you start to work on your character development throughout the process, you kind of forget the meaning of what you’re saying as you go along,” Sameep Mangat (12), who played the role of Dorothy Brock, said. “My character’s very diva and very over-the-top, and I’m not used to being a stereotypical Broadway diva. Just embodying this person who is way older than me and kind of the opposite of me has been my challenge.”
The production team consisted of Lang-Ree, musical director Catherine Snider, choreographer Katie Champlin, associate choreographer Marcie Shapiro, scenic designer and technical director Paul Vallerga, costume designer Caela Fujii, lighting designer Natti Pierce-Thomson, sound designer and production manager Brian Larsen, properties designer Ruthe Stein, tap trainer Marie Stinnett and house manager Michelle Larsen.
“We had some special guests like Marie Stinnett from Marie Stinnett Dance. She’s a legend in dance and worked on Broadway as a choreographer and performer… she’s helped me out with Downbeat kids in the past with training,” Lang-Ree said. “[When I mentioned this musical to her], she just took it on. The amount of time she’s spent with our students and the wisdom she’s imparted is crazy.”
Throughout the process of preparing for the musical, the cast bonded through rehearsals and workshops. Welcoming to both newcomers and experienced actors, the production helped strengthen existing bonds and create new friendships.
“‘42nd Street’ was a great experience. I met a completely different group of people, and I was immediately accepted. We worked a lot and worked very hard, but the outcome was really worth it.” ensemble member Arthur Jakobsson (9) said.
Upcoming performing arts productions include the annual spring vocal concert in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. on May 3.
