Hamilton cast members surprise choral students at Saint Viator
Saint Viator choral students have been working on a medley from "Hamilton" for their upcoming Choral Showcase on Saturday, March 10, when who showed up, but none other than two cast members from the show itself.
Jose Ramos and Ari Afsar have starring roles in the current Chicago production, but they took time away to visit with choral and theater students and give them an inside look at the musical aspects of each song in the medley - and the emotional context - as well as what it takes to become a professional.
"It was awesome," says senior Danielle Versen of Prospect Heights. "I was screaming internally the whole time."
Working under the direction of Daniel Walls, choral director, students performed their nine-minute medley for the stars before breaking it down into individual numbers and polishing their technique.
"They encouraged us to sing from our core and use more dynamics so it wasn't so flatlined," said sophomore Olivia Marcinkus of Itasca. "We worked on improving our tone and diction, which is really important in these songs."
The stars also put each song into perspective, explaining when they came up in the show and what each character was feeling at the time.
"That really helped us make a connection with what we were singing," Versen added, "and make it a more powerful performance."
The Hamilton cast members spoke to members of Saint Viator's concert, treble and chamber choirs, as well as students involved in music ministry and theater classes.
They also held a Q&A at the end, when they talked about what it is like to perform Hamilton every night, their experiences in performing, and their lives outside of performing.
Their appearance was made possible by David Ornelas of Arlington Heights and his family, who attended a fundraiser organized by Ramos for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. They won the visit from the stars as part of the event's auction.
Walls and Kate Costello, theater director, said the visit by Hamilton stars will go a long way toward underscoring some of the cues students hear in class.
"It was a really cool opportunity for students to apply what we do in class and work with professionals in the field," Walls said.
Choral students will perform the Hamilton medley during a fine arts assembly on Thursday and at the Choral Showcase, which takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 10, in the Jeuck Auditorium at Saint Viator High School, 1213 E Oakton St., Arlington Heights. Admission is free.
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