Beyond the Page: The Upper School Universal Read

Broadway energy electrified the Fort Worth Country Day campus this past September as students gathered for an unforgettable book discussion –one that went beyond the page and onto the stage. The summer 2024 Upper School Universal Read was Hamilton: An Exploration of History, Art and Democracy, a self-published creation guided by Upper School Librarian Sarah Blan It became more than a book when Stephanie Klemons, the original dance captain and Associate Choreographer for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, brought her firsthand experience to the conversation.

The 2024 Universal Book was a departure from the traditional book selections of the past because, while referred to as a book, it was a compilation of lyrics from Hamilton: The Musical, primary source documents, and videos providing background information.

The Upper School Reading Committee, comprising 15 teachers from all academic, athletic and fine arts departments, spends hours each year reading and discussing books in search of the next universal book. With 2024 being an election year and the School planning Democracy Day, the committee began thinking about how the universal book could support the Democracy Day initiative. In the book’s Note to the Reader, the following is stated: “Everyone in the room laughed at the first mention of Hamilton as the universal book. Why would we replace a book with a musical? But once the seed was planted, a series of unlikely coincidences made us think that reading Hamilton (not viewing) was a real possibility. Not only was it a real possibility, but it had the potential to bring energy to our Upper School students and faculty and be the ‘fun’ universal book students have been asking for.”

Focusing on Hamilton: The Musical allowed for two stories to be told – how the U.S. became the first democratic republic following the American Revolution and how Hamilton, a groundbreaking musical, came to be. The Notes to the Reader further defined the goal of the Universal Read: “The comparison between these two revolutions may seem bizarre. What does a musical have to do with the founding of our democracy? Just as Lin-Manuel Miranda and a group of people from all different backgrounds came together to create one very big play, a group of American colonists from all different backgrounds came together and worked to form a nation in the face of incredible adversity. What an unlikely story – the story of our American democracy.”

On September 4, 2024, students gathered in the Scott Theater, where Klemons joined FWCD Technical Director Eric Tysinger for an engaging onstage discussion. Their conversation traced their shared history of working on Hamilton (he was the Stage Manager for the national tour), offering students a behind-the-scenes look at the production’s creative process. Midway through the presentation, Upper School English Teacher Catherine CollinsVecino asked Klemons to demonstrate some choreography. Ava Vanderpoel ’26 volunteered to sing “The Room Where It Happens,” and Klemons seamlessly transitioned into song and movement, bringing a Broadway moment to life on the FWCD stage.

“One thing that stood out from the conversation was how Stephanie talked about Hamilton and democracy,” said Upper School Librarian Sarah Blan. “She shared that on the stage of Hamilton, things were not always as wonderful as they were portrayed in the media. She talked about the juxtaposition between something being so incredible and successful yet filled with struggle and difficulty, just like our own democracy.”

Aero McCormack ’25 posed an excellent question to Klemons to end the discussion, asking how Hamilton relates to the United States’ current political state. Her response: “You all are the ones that are going to have to fix this. You are the next group of fighters for democracy.”

Following the onstage conversation, students broke into small discussion groups to further explore themes from their reading. Topics included ambition and power, character development through music, critical reception, diversity in theater, The Federalist Papers and public discourse, Hamilton and Burr, Hamilton and Jefferson, Hamilton’s views on education and the press, immigration and the American Dream, musical styles and influences, slavery and abolition, song analysis, the role of informed citizens in a democracy, and women in Hamilton.

Klemons’s time on campus extended beyond the literary conversation – she also engaged with students in the fine arts and athletics programs, leading workshops for the cheerleading team, ballet class, and Acting and Musical Theatre students.

Students tackled challenging original choreography from Hamilton, In the Heights, and Bring It On: The Musical, a production that featured FWCD alumna Courtney Corbeille Krauss ’06. Krauss, FWCD Fourth Grade Teacher and Varsity Cheer Coach, has an extensive background in performance and coaching. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, where she cheered for major sports and the competition squad, she was cast as an original member of both the touring and Broadway companies of Bring It On: The Musical.

“Although our cheerleaders and ballerinas are not used to moving like they do in Hamilton, they stretched their comfort zones and did an amazing job learning a difficult style from an industry expert,” Krauss said. “Stephanie also taught them a combination from Bring It On, the show we were in together many years ago! It was also neat witnessing a collaboration between our Fine Arts and Athletics Departments.”

Director of Fine Arts Lindy Heath emphasized the value of bringing working professionals to campus. “Our students benefit so much when they hear and learn from artists with realworld experience,” she said. “Stephanie brought motivational energy like no other to our campus. Her connection with students was a confidence booster to all of our artists, athletes and scholars. To hear real-life stories of the creative development, persistence, and smarts that make a dream become a reality – and then a huge success – is sometimes just the thing a student needs to move their dream forward.”

Klemons’s visit transformed the 202425 academic year’s book discussion into something more – a lesson in history, artistry, and the power of perseverance.