The Marshall Choir presented a spring show, titled “A Broadway Finale” on June 2 and 3 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The show featured the Treble Choir, Men’s Choir, Women’s Chamber, Women’s Camerata, and Statesmen Singers performing 36 broadway songs as a send off to the senior class as well as the retiring choir teacher Keri Staley.
Junior Maeve Berman attended the premiere and enjoyed the song-to-song performance style: the combination of both timeless classics and newer broadway hits to create a playlist of songs.
“The mix of old and new songs and all of the costumes and choreography made the show a lot of fun,” Berman said. “I thought that ‘Master of the House’ was performed really well.”
Staley’s departure, marked with the final Broadway spectacular, gave her career as a choir teacher an end on a happier note. Junior Victoria Windt sang in the show as a member of the Women’s Chamber and agreed that the show was a cheerful and memorable way to say goodbye.
“I think it was a good, positive send off because the show really gave a sense of closure for the whole choir family,” Windt said. “Mrs. Staley has been a very big part of my high school experience, so her absence is definitely going to feel strange.”
In addition, sophomore Adi Wineland, a part of the men’s Chamber felt this past year has been especially difficult due to the long-term substitute teachers instituted in Staley’s absence.
“I will admit this year has been a fairly rough one for the choir department,” Wineland said. “We had two long-term substitutes, Mr. Rinaldo and Mrs. Pierson, and though they both brought unique qualities and teaching styles, it was still hard adjusting to three different teachers all in one year.”
Even though the choir department faced the challenge of teacher inconsistency, the department managed to overcome the odds and gain strength through perseverance.
“Despite the challenges, I feel like we’ve never sounded better and that Mrs. Staley has left our program in a really great spot,” Wineland said. “We already know our new teacher, Mrs. Pierson, who is also a long-term sub and is going to continue Mrs. Staley’s legacy but also bring some new and exciting adventures to our choir department.”
To Windt, the excitement of a new teacher and a new experience comes the balancing of losing a mentor and friend.
“She’s such a wonderful teacher and person, and I’m really going to miss her,” Windt said.