After five days of song, dance, and local excursions, the choir and theatre department returned from their trip to the Big Apple on March 15.
This trip to the city started with an idea proposal from the 2025-2026 ITS Student Presidents back in May of 2025 and flourished into a full itinerary filled with experiences, performances, and workshops. Thai Sribanditmongkol, Berlin’s choir director, took his Advanced Treble and Advanced Bass Ensembles to perform at Cathedral St. John the Divine, a cathedral that holds open hours for artists and ensembles to perform.
The Cathedral holds open hours for performances year-round, which allows students to experience the beautiful architecture and acoustics. With some family who made the trek to NYC to watch, the Berlin Choir was mostly able to take in this experience for themselves and create memorable moments.
“I am so excited for our singers to leave having made great music and lasting memories with friends,” Mr. Sribanditmongkol said.
Aside from the performance, the Bears on the trip received the full NYC experience, as they saw three Broadway shows that included “Maybe Happy Ending”, “The Outsiders”, and “Chess”. Across all three Broadway shows, the casts featured well‑known performers from television, film, and the stage.
“Some of my greatest experiences came on trips with my college band and choir. I’ve wanted to bring such opportunities to our students ever since Berlin opened eight years ago, and I’m glad to be able to share this trip with them,” Mr. Sribanditmongkol said.
Bears departed by bus on Wednesday, March 11, and spent the night in Pennsylvania. They arrived at Pearl Studios the next day, for a dance and movement workshop with Thayne Jasperson, an original Broadway cast member of “Hamilton”. Paired with a walk through Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Museums of Broadway and Modern Art, and more, these students were given the opportunity to step out of Bear Country and bring some 3140BSR to NYC.
“There were so many amazing opportunities, and I felt so blessed to see so many shows and explore the city with my choir and theatre family,” Maddie Haugk ‘26 said.
Now back from the trip, students who traveled rave about the shows and sites they saw. From the articulate and emotional storytelling of “Maybe Happy Ending”, to the choreography of “The Outsiders”, and powerful vocals in “Chess”, students were in awe of the talent on Broadway.
Through an immersive experience in the Big Apple, Bears were given a glimpse of a performing arts future in New York City, and this trip will be regarded as historic.
