Annually, the 8th Grade Musical is a rite of passage for our graduating students.

Beginning with auditions in November, students work to perfect their lines and polish their song and dance, throughout the spring semester. On opening night in May, they take the stage at Braemar with their classmates - some of whom have been together since Kindergarten - for the final performance of their GUS careers.

This important GUS tradition requires participation by every member of the class. Whether theatre and performing have been a part of their life before or not, the musical gives students an opportunity for students to put themselves out there and be brave. The success of the show depends on the students trusting and supporting each other in a new way as they all strive to find the best within themselves and as a collective group. Brave vulnerability is a seed of significant growth, in the classroom and on the stage, and that is why this musical is such an important part of the GUS experience. This capstone project not only highlights the group’s collective creativity and talent, but it also represents the emotional journey they have made over their time at GUS. We delight in how bravely they put themselves out there as they take on new personas and sing with gusto! They make us laugh, they make us proud, and they break our hearts a little, as we realize they are indeed ready for a bigger stage, for life after GUS.

This spring, our 8th graders have been working hard to keep the tradition alive. With the guidance of Director and Upper School Music Teacher Sarah Bailes, Assistant Director and English Teacher Katie Blynn, and Choreographer and Dance Teacher Ann-Marie Ciaraldi, they've been practicing together, virtually. While we wish more than ever that we could be on campus tonight celebrating the debut of Shrek, Jr., we're excited to share a few of the scenes and songs they've prepared over the course of the next three days - when the musical would have been running on campus.

Bravo to our class of 2020!