Orchestra energetically bursts into the opening of “Sleigh Ride,” and at center stage, Orchestra director Jaco Wong, clad in a Grinch costume and green face paint, guides the musicians. Mid-song, a student sneaks up and delivers a quick jab at him, the slapstick ringing with a sharp whack. A playful scuffle occurs between student-conductor Savitha Satish (11) and the Grinch, ending with Savitha taking over his platform. And so begins the annual Big Assembly Day (BAD), a holiday ride of music, dance and drama. 

Performing arts groups across three campuses took the stage for the annual BAD on Dec. 13. 

Between each performing arts group, narrators from Downbeat and Dance Fusion introduced the next acts, sprinkling holiday puns throughout their skit. Downbeat member Varun Bhupathi (12) took on the role of a narrator for the first time.

“Being a narrator was a unique experience because I’ve really never spoken in front of an audience,” Varun said. “As narrators, we really get to be ourselves, and we were just trying to show our personality in a light way, which made it really easy once I was on stage to just have fun.”

Bucknall Choir chorused to “Carry the Light,” and Showstoppers followed with a contemporary piece to “Miracle.” Festival Chorus performed an upbeat acapella tune, and Rhapsody sang and danced a humorous rendition of “I’m Just Ken (Winter Version),” written by junior Tom Campisi. 

“Performing was scary because we did a really silly song, and we were told to embrace the silly,” Rhapsody member Nicholas Knauer (10) said. “I was just hoping that we embraced silly correctly, and I think we did because we enjoyed the song and laughed while singing.”

High Voltage took the stage with their hip-hop routine to a medley of Christmas songs. Dynamics invited audience participation to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and Concert Choir performed a rendition of “Betelehemu,” a Yoruban carol accompanied by djembé drums. Kinetic Krew maintained the high energy with their hip-hop routine to “Man’s Not Hot: Christmas Edition.” 

“On stage, I felt an adrenaline rush, and it was super exciting,” Kinetic Krew member Tanvi Dhoot (9) said. “I was a little nervous at first, but as soon as the curtains came up, all of that went away. It’s my first year on Kinetic Krew, and this performance reminded me how happy I was when I first joined. They’ve become like family, and it’s just amazing.”

Harmonics then guided the audience through “Holiday Road,” celebrating diverse winter holidays like Hanukkah and Lunar New Year. Capriccio’s acapella “Animal Greetings” harmonized with each other through animal sounds and wore festive puppets in addition.

Harker Dance Company, donning red gloves in addition to their customary green outfit, divided into two groups: one performed“Feel It Still,” while the other danced to “Bells, Bows, Gifts, Trees,” which culminated in a kick line. Dance Fusion followed in fuzzy red sweaters that complimented their upbeat routine to “DJ Play a Christmas Song.” Downbeat wrapped up the show, dazzling the crowd with their annual rendition of “Twelve Days of Christmas Confusion.”

This year’s BAD marked Varun’s final performance after performing in the holiday show since fourth grade. He reflected upon his experience throughout the years.

“I was watching the Bucknall Choir and thinking about the pieces I did in those previous years, and I could see the growth in my Harker journey, especially with singing,” Varun said. “BAD is a constant that reminds people of the joy of the holidays before finals and winter break.”

Additional reporting by Leah Krupnik.