The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The 2023 release “Wonka” tells the origin story of Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. With its appealing visuals, catchy tunes and lighthearted villain roles, the musical constructs a fantastical and enchanting world, despite being cheesy at times.

A charming chocolatier

by Eva Cheng, Co-Assistant Sports Editor March 4, 2024

Arriving in a whimsical metropolis with nothing but dreams, a young, starry-eyed Willy Wonka strolls into the square of Galerie Gourmet, home of the world’s most renowned chocolatiers, hoping to start...

Shareen Chahal (11) as Leaf Coneybear. The eccentric homeschooled speller becomes an underdog of the bee.

Conservatory brings pandemonium with Spring Musical

by Alison Yang, Jonathan Xue, and Young Min April 12, 2023

In thirty minutes, Rona Lisa Peretti, played by Samvita Gautham (12), will take the stage, pink pumps and purple power suit bursting out from the beige set. “Syzygy,” she spells, as the cheers in her...

Anoushka Khatri (12), who plays Janet Van De Graff, answers questions from curious reporters about her upcoming wedding. The musical followed the wedding of Janet and Robert Martin and the chaos that ensues.

‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ spring musical returns in-person with 4 standing ovations

by Sally Zhu, A&E and Lifestyle Editor April 12, 2022

The lights blink on, the curtains fall and the show draws to a close. Audience members return to reality, after a two-hour long, distant adventure full of laughter, anticipation, drama and, most importantly,...

Anoushka Khatri (12) and Samvita Gautham (11) rehearse on Feb. 4 in the Patil Theater for the Spring Musical. This years Spring Musical will be The Drowsy Chaperone, performed yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Upcoming upper school performances

by Kinnera Mulam, Alena Suleiman, and Sally Zhu March 25, 2022

Spring Musical: “The Drowsy Chaperone”  March 24-26 This year’s Spring Musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” will take place today and tomorrow at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. show tomorrow in the Patil...

Twenty-five-year-old JJ Niemann is a Broadway performer who has appeared in The Book of Mormon and the recent TikTok musical Ratatouille the Musical.” After Broadway shut down March 2020 due to the pandemic, Niemann turned towards TikTok to continue showcasing his acting, singing and dancing as well as behind-the-scenes of Broadway life. Niemann has rose to popularity on the platform, with over 660 thousand followers on TikTok.

Where Broadway meets TikTok: A performer’s journey from stage to screen

by Sally Zhu, Humans of Harker Profiler May 12, 2021

“Remy, the ratatouille, the rat of all my dreams. I praise you, my ratatouille. May the world remember your name.”  The original movie “Ratatouille,” featuring the loveable and wholesome Remy...

Seniors Ruya Ozveren, Alex Kumar, and Vaishnavi Murari sing in the closing scene of the spring musical Les Misérables with the entire cast on March 19. Unlike the format of the Fall Play and Student Directed Showcase (SDS), Performing Arts Director Laura Lang-Ree converted the musical into a movie, where multiple video angles are used and the audio is recorded beforehand.

It’s a wrap: “Les Miz” cast to release movie production of Spring Musical

by Aastha Mangla and Michelle Liu April 7, 2021

As the third theater performance following the start of the pandemic, "Les Misérables" hints at hope in a time of loss and revolution. To bring this story to life, the cast and crew of the Spring Musical...

The sun sets on the back  entrance that leads to the quad at the upper school on Mar. 2. Classes will began a rotation of at least one day per week per grade beginning in mid-April.

Upper school to continue campus reopening efforts for in-person learning

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor April 6, 2021

Santa Clara County entered the orange tier last week, with the new COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 citizens dropping below 10 for the first time since the first week of December. Currently, the upper school...

Music Monday is a new installation featuring a different category of songs on a weekly basis.

Music Monday: Sing Broadway with Aquila

by Irene Yuan, Multimedia Editor January 18, 2021

Music Monday features a different category of songs on a weekly basis. Each Monday, Harker Aquila will release seven songs, one song for each day of the week. In tandem with this year's NYC Broadway Week,...

The Conservatory program held its virtual kick-off on Aug. 26, introducing an unusual year for the arts. “When we had one day to turn around and teach online, it was such an unknown,” said Susan Nace, vocal music teacher and director of Camerata and Cantilena. “Where we are now, its not as scary, and were seeing a lot of possibilities because we dont have that fear holding us back.”

“Art has prevailed”: Performing arts prepare versions of shows depending on COVID-19

by Sara Yen, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief September 8, 2020

The end of last year was a devastating time for much of the upper school performing arts department. Both the orchestra trip to Carnegie Hall and the spring musical “Damn, Yankees” were canceled due...

Bobby Strong, played by Mathew Mammen (12), leads a team of rebels in the first acts finale number in the musical Urinetown. The cast performed four shows from March 28 to March 30 in the Patil Theater.

“This is Urinetown”: Spring musical “Urinetown” delves into a drenched world

by Erica Cai, Esha Gohil, Sara Yen, and Gloria Zhang April 11, 2019

With the house lights in the Patil Theater dimmed, Performing Arts Director Laura Lang-Ree exclaims from the back row of the orchestra seats, “Alright, take it to the top of the show!” Hearing these...

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