It was a night to remember for Metea Valley theater alumni. The program celebrated its 10-year anniversary by taking a look back on some of its most memorable shows in a unique way.
Former stars of the Metea shows were invited to perform the same tunes they sang back when they first took the stage as high schoolers.
“Many of these students that came tonight were here at the very beginning, so for them to come back and see how this school has changed, how the legacy that they left has grown has been really rewarding for them,” said Nathan Bramstedt, theater program director at Metea.
From its humble beginnings performing in the school’s cafeteria, the theater program has come a long way, now performing in a state-of-the-art auditorium. Those in attendance heard from some musical classics like “Bye Bye Birdie” and from some newer shows like “Shrek The Musical.”
“As soon as they started singing, you could just remember those feelings from ten, nine, eight, seven years ago and it was a thrill,” said Bramstedt. “Each show is like our children here – we don’t have favorites. We were just celebrating everyone’s ten-year journey.”
It was a special night for those in attendance and on stage.
“I think what I loved about theater is that we always did something out of our comfort,” said 2018 Metea graduate Ariyana White. “We never did anything safe. We never do anything safe here. And to learn and do all of those things is amazing. It’s great.”
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
