A visit to Broadway is sure to excite and inspire anyone. So it was with a J. Taylor Finley Middle School Life Skills program class, which saw the popular musical “Frozen” and then toured the St. James Theatre.
The group from Finley attended the 1 p.m. matinee. It marked the second consecutive year that teachers Lisa Caporusso and Frank Battista were able to bring a Life Skills class to Manhattan to see a Broadway show.
Finley staff members Cynthia Vitulli, Ann Donegan, Rob Scalza and Yvonne DaCosta chaperoned and helped make the day a special one for everyone.
Students Jack Morreale, Sebastian Romero, Jake Cordes, Stephanie Flores, Joey Biernacki, Ben Weissman and Avante Williams-Samuels had the time of their lives. “It was great,” Mr. Williams-Samuels said.
The stagecraft, music, special effects and the quality of performances mesmerized the Finley contingent. “Elsa’s dress switch was awesome,” Ms. Flores said.
The Finley students really appreciated the high quality music and vocals that have helped make the show so popular with audiences. “I loved Olaf’s song, ‘In Summer,’” Mr. Romero said.
“After the performance our students were able to tour backstage and see the sets and props used in the show,” Mr. Battista said. The class then enjoyed an early dinner at Junior’s at Broadway and West 45th Street.
All of the behind the scenes planning by Mrs. Vitulli helped make the day run smoothly. Kimberly Larkin-Battista facilitated the backstage tour, which was an extra delight for the students.
“I loved seeing all of our student's smiles throughout the show,” Ms. Caporusso said. “A great time was had by all.”
