Two days ago, Vandegrift Viper choir held their annual Broadway Night venue, where students from the choir program perform songs from a variety of Broadway musicals.

“I like solo performances,” sophomore Evan Welliver said. “I don’t have to blend with other people which is nice because I always get yelled at for not doing that. It’s just all around a fun experience and it’s just something to do in my voice lessons and it really feels good once you complete a song and you perform it.”

Choir director Mr. Feris started the Broadway night tradition when he began teaching five years ago as an opportunity for the students to sing solos on only Broadway music.

“I like the auditions,” Feris said. “I know that’s not the actual show, but it’s cool to see what kids have prepared and I really enjoy the surprises that happen in the auditions.”

Each individual student had a unique connection to or background with their songs.

“[The song “Proud of Your Boy”] was from the broadway version of Aladdin not the movie, so people didn’t know it,” Welliver said. “I really liked the song because I really think it should have been in the movie and it wasn’t.”

The performance not only provided entertainement for the audience and fellow students, but also gave the performers a level of individual development that doesn’t always come through the choir program.

“This is my second year doing broadway night,” sophomore Mackenzie Shaw said. “I was introduced to it last year and it was very cool and I loved it. I love musicals and broadway-I always have- and it was a fun way to perform by myself in a program that is usually about working together.”