Guy Benjamin School fourth graders, above, hosted the highlights of Egypt during the “One World, One Heart,” original musical production on Saturday, February 16, at the Westin Resort and Villas ballroom.
A stop in Africa, featuring JESS students, featured live drumming, puppets and impressive dance numbers.
The crowd at the Westin Resort and Villas ballroom on Saturday evening, February 16, was whisked across the globe with St. John Airways.
The third annual Broadway Comes to St. John production “One World, One Heart” was a whirlwind tour around the planet with a simple, yet meaningful message of hope.
The original musical production was created by professional Broadway actors Laura Barnao, Donna Drake, Michael Shawn Lewis, Rhonda Miller and John Tartaglia and featured songs and dances, puppets and props as well as laughs and a few tears.
The show starred fourth grade students from Guy Benjamin School, Gifft Hill School and Julius E. Sprauve School along with St. John School of the Arts dance students.
A fundraiser for SJSA, the crew performed two shows of “One World, One Heart” on February 16. The packed house at the premier show at 6 p.m. included “Angel Ticket” holders, who paid $200 and also enjoyed dinner and dancing on the Great Cruz Bay beach compliments of Westin Resort and Villas. A second show at 8 p.m. was performed in front of a standing room only crowd, who offered donations to SJSA.
GHS students, above, welcomed the crowd to Japan, on the first leg of the Far East portion of the show.
Hosting most of the Far East leg of the world-spanning journey, GBS students, above, thrilled the crowd with an uproarious rendition of Gangnam Style.
The room appeared sold out as the 6 p.m. audience took its seats and was welcomed aboard St. John Airways by SJSA board member Ronnie Lee, acting as pilot for the globe-trotting trip.
After an introduction featuring all three schools as well as SJSA dance students acting as flight attendants, the crowd was invited to “six back, relax, and enjoy the trip,” which was set to “arrive in its destination when it arrives.”
The first stop was Paris, France, where GHS girls in flouncy tutu’s did their best can-can before being wooed by the school’s fourth grade boys, decked out in berets.
The audience was then transported to the tropical beaches of Hawaii for a luau-inspired dance number by the fourth graders at JESS. Leis and hula hoops filled the stage as ukulele-inflected music brought the crowd to keep rhythm.
Leaving the Hawaiian islands the next stop was Egypt where GBS students showcased the famous pyramids and even King Tut, a la Steve Martin’s classic style, made an appearance.
From the desert to the snow, the next stop on “One World, One Heart” was ice-bound Russia. SJSA dance students helped set the stage as ice skaters as GHS students braved the chill thanks to furry muffs and flickering candles.
Rio de Janeiro, the next stop on the world tour, heated the show right back up. Featuring Carnival dancers, beads and masks, JESS students got the party going on the evening’s Brazil stop-over.
From South America, the show transported the crowd to the Far East. The first stop was GHS in Japan where Kung Fu fighters got the tempo back up to Rio standards. A stop in China with GBS continued to up the energy ahead of the blow-out Gangnam Style inspired number also by GBS brought down the house.
After the Far East, the sounds of safari took over as St. John Airways touched down on the final stop of the journey, Africa. Featuring GHS and GBS students and SJSA dancers, the segment also showcased live drumming.
A spectacular finale featured all of the students and brought tears to many an eye inside the ballroom. With video footage highlighting the meanings of peace and war, the students sang
“We Are the World,” followed by “One World, One Heart,” which both sent home messages of unity, hope and love.
Following a standing ovation, Lee took the stage and thanked the angles.
“Mark your calender,” said the SJSA board member. “The Fourth Annual Broadway Comes to St. John will be one year from tonight, February 15, 2014.”
Before the 8 p.m. show, Westin Resort and Villas manager Mike Ryan drew the winning ticket for the raffle prize trip for two to London. Tickets were $100 each and supported SJSA. Only 150 tickets were sold and in the end it is Kate and Jim Swan of St. John Hardware who will be enjoying three nights in London, tickets to a show in the West End and dinner.