SUMMER
2019
The Start
Features
One Short Day........................................................................................... 4
The Eats
Stardust Diner........................................................................................... 6
The Culture
Chinatown & Little Italy............................................................. 8
The Learning
Hamilton Workshop.....................................................................10
The Shows
Come From Away..............................................................................12
The Fun
My NYC Top Ten...................................................................................16 Seeing The Sights........................................................................... 20
The Memories
Flying Complications................................................................. 46
ON THE COVER:
The Lubbock-Cooper High School performaing arts program enjoyed a trip to New York City in the summer of 2019. The group poses in front of the iconic Stardust Theatre.
Staff PUBLICATION
Christi Brooks..................................................Publisher Bethany Watson...............................Contributing Writer Brynnan Brooks..............................Contributing Writer
ART
Bethany Watson.......................................Photographer Mary Lynn Hokett.....................................Photographer Brynnan Brooks.......................................Photographer Toby Brooks.................................................Art Director
One Short Day Copyright 2020 by Chaplain Publishing, a division of NiTROhype Creative, 3104 CR 7520, Lubbock, Texas, 79423, phone 806.781.8482. Contents may not be reproduced without consent of the copyright owner. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronically or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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THE
START
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One Short Day BRYNNAN
I
f you aren’t already familiar with the premise of the musical Wicked, it follows the life of Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West. It begins with Elphaba’s birth as an innocent baby and follows her journey to becoming the villain that she is the The Wizard of Oz. Before becoming known as Wicked, she is found to be a gifted student and is invited to The Emerald City to meet the famous Wizard of Oz, something she has dreamed of for years. In the song “One Short Day,” she says:
One short day Full of so much to do Every way That you look in this city There’s something exquisite You’ll want to visit Before the day’s through! I think this song perfectly encapsulates how many of us were feeling getting to go on this amazing trip to New York. Our week felt like “One Short Day” and we found ourselves thoroughly tired each night from everything packed in our schedule, but we still wished there was more time to see everything else this amazing city had to offer. It seemed that with every new sight, there were ten more along the way that intrigued us. As I sat in the theater and watched the characters in Wicked, eyes wide, and mouths gaping like fish as they absorbed all the sights of The Emerald City, I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what we looked like to all the locals. I wouldn’t doubt it. This trip provided all of us with the amazing opportunity to see as much of New York as possible in our short week there, but it was still just a fraction of all that is available in a city like that. For most groups, this would have just been a bittersweet reality, or an encouragement
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to return some other time with a different group, maybe with your future family, but to our company, it was something more. This group was comprised of theater kids and choir kids, creatives who didn’t want to just see New York, they wanted to live New York. Later in the song, Elphaba says:
So I’ll be back for good someday To make my life and make my way But for today, we’ll wander and enjoy One short day. This is exactly what this trip was to most of us. We sensed our want for more, but knew that for this trip all we could do was soak it all in. Through our creativitytinted glasses, we could see how each memorial and dedication and exhibit had someone who had to have designed it— someone who painstakingly researched every aspect of their project and found how to accurately represent this through art and through music. We saw Broadway shows and talked face-to-face with people who had dedicated their lives to professionally creating. We saw firsthand what it looks like when years of hard work and dedication and passion and love fuse together in an explosion of talent and art and creativity. We saw this city, alight with the fire for expressing itself, however that may be. For some of us, this meant we vowed, like Elphaba, to be back for good someday, either on the stage and under the lights or behind the scenes and in the framework of the city. But for some of us, this simply meant we swore to never lose this love of art that was cultivated on this trip. We promised that wherever we end up, we would find a way to honor our one short day.
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THE
Stardust Diner
BRYNNAN
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EATS
E
veryone who goes into any career in the arts is bound to be constantly battered with doubters who question if a person can make a living out of singing or dancing or playing make believe. The Stardust Diner aims to prove anyone wrong who doubts the validity of a career in the arts. There, all the waiters and waitresses perform in addition to serving delicious food. This provides an outlet for any aspiring Broadway performers to practice and get some exposure as well as providing the highest quality entertainment for diners. As theater kids, we thought the Stardust Diner was an absolute dream. It allowed us to see that a career in the arts was not only possible but entertaining. The wall of waiters and waitresses who had worked at the Diner and had gone on to careers
in Broadway and other professional theater venues was mind-blowing and inspiring to say the least. The quality of performance was amazing, as well, and the song choices were popular enough that most of our group was belting along with the performances. They featured common musical theater songs like “Only Us” from Dear Evan Hansen and “Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but we were also treated to an amazing rendition of “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman, and even “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. There really was something for everybody. We definitely left the Stardust Diner singing acapella in the streets and I’m sure annoying all of the native New Yorkers, but we had a great time.
The historic Stardust Diner was a tasty—and entertaining—stop on our trip.
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THE
Chinatown & Little Italy
BRYNNAN
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CULTURE
T
here were so many events planned for this trip because there were so many sights to see. One of the attractions that you would need hours and hours to fully explore is Chinatown and Little Italy, but we only had limited time. However, the experiences we had in the short time allotted were well worth it. We were given a couple of hours to explore and to find food. The group I went with decided that we should find a meal first and then we could explore after, so we headed over to one of the diners in Little Italy. It was pretty fancy and the menu was pretty daunting for those of us whose Italian food experience was limited to mostly Olive Garden and Fazolis. So, we decided to just order some appetizers and dine family-style. The owner was very friendly and talked our ear off. He also gave us some suggestions of menu
items that he really liked and when he heard we just wanted a sort of sample platter of the menu instead of full meals each, he said he would take care of us and just bring out some of his favorite items. So that was what he did. We were slightly alarmed when the wait staff kept bringing plate after plate of fairly complex dishes, but he assured us he just wanted us to have the true Little Italy experience. We thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes and tried lots of new foods we had never come across before. One thing we were not expecting, but in retrospect, should’ve seen coming, was the bill. The adult sponsor with us was alarmed to say the least when she saw our receipt, but not wanting to offend the owner, she just asked us each of the 8-10 of us to pitch in $20 and she would cover the rest. So, I would for sure recommend finding a meal in Little Italy, but maybe order just one specific item from the menu.
The sights, smells, and tastes of Little Italy were memorable.
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“One thing we were not expecting, but in retrospect, should’ve seen coming, was the bill.”
texastechphysicians.com
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BROOKS BRYNNAN
Hamilton Workshop
T
he first
time I went to New York, we saw The Rock on the Today Show, mostly by accident, but it was pretty cool to tell people I had seen The Rock in person. On this trip, however, we had the amazing opportunity to not only see Thayne Jasperson but to talk with him and ask him questions and have him tell us about himself. Thayne Jasperson is an actor who has been involved in television, such as the dancing ensemble in High School Musical and on Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance, and most impressively to us theater and choir kids, he is in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton as Samuel
Seabury, the only remaining member of the original cast. He sat down and told us about his career and how he had achieved such great heights. We were also able to ask questions of him. They ranged anywhere from general musical theater or performing advice to what he does for fun other than theater. I know many of us were pretty starstruck to be talking to someone who had been part of such a groundbreaking and phenomenal production like Hamilton as well as having such an interesting life outside of that. He definitely was a great inspiration to those of us considering pursuing theater and was just a really cool person to meet to all of us.
As cool as the sightseeing may be, we really enjoyed the learning even more!
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THE
LEARNING
www.city.bank
Students from around the country and even around the globe assembled to learn from professional artists.
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THE
SHOWS
BRYNNAN
BROOKS
Come From Away
M
y best friend, who was also able to go on the trip, has always been obsessed with musicals, so the first showtune I was exposed to was “Popular� from the musical Wicked. From then on, I was hooked on musicals, a hunger that could not be quenched simply by seeing the odd middle school production of Annie. I had to resort to the tolerable substitute of listening to Broadway cast recordings, but I still longed to immerse myself in the soft harmonies and powerful vocals that can only be truly experienced sitting in the plush seats of a Broadway theater.
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THE
SHOWS When the sponsors for my New York trip announced that we were going to be seeing not one but two Broadway shows and one of them was the infamous Wicked from my humble musical beginnings, I was ecstatic. I had never heard of the other show, Come From Away, but a Broadway show is a Broadway show. Just to do my homework, I listened to the recording of Come From Away and was unimpressed. It seemed a compelling story, but the music didn’t overly amaze
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me. My excitement for Wicked was not to be deterred, however. After Wicked I would’ve been content if we had to leave New York right then. As far as I was concerned, I had seen everything I needed to of the Big Apple. I was disappointed that we saw Wicked first and I would have to see a show that would be good by any standard, but would pale in comparison to the tragic villain backstory of the wicked witch of the west. Nevertheless, we filed in to the
One Short Day
quaint little theater adorned with a much more realistic, simple set. The visual, vocal, and emotional masterpiece that I had the pleasure of experiencing in that hour and a half will not soon leave my memory. I was blown away. Obviously all of the acting, singing, and choreography was superb, but that has come to be expected of Broadway shows. What was unique about this show was how personal it felt. The sense of community the actors
and band immerse the audience in was stunning. I left the theater with tears in my eyes, a fantastic story on my mind, and lots of merchandise. Come From Away was truly the best musical I have ever seen, but I recommend you see it in person rather than listening to the album. It is a musical
that can only be felt, not just listened to, but the feeling it provides is unparalleled by even the likes of something as timeless as Wicked.
www.teddyjacks.com
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THE
BETHANY
WATSON
FUN
10. China Town & Little Italy
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Chinatown and Little Italy are located in Downtown Manhattan. I loved visiting China Town and Little Italy because they had great food and super cheap souvenirs. When me and my friends arrived in Chinatown, we found a little restaurant with amazing food. You definitely can’t find Chinese food that good in Lubbock, Texas! After eating a very filling meal, we headed to a couple shops where we found cheap shirts, baseball caps, and keychains. We then made our way to Little Italy. In Little Italy we stopped at a small bakery with lots of homemade goodies. They had some of the best gelato and cannolis I have ever had.
My NYC Top Ten
9. The Today Show
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My roommates and I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to be sure we made it to the Today Show early. During the summer the Today Show does a series of concerts with different featured artists and bands. For this particular concert, The Jonas Brothers were performing! We stopped at Starbucks and picked up some breakfast and coffee on the way to the Today Show. After we ate, we found some places to stand in the crowded street where we could still all three brothers. We listened to the band warm up their popular songs “Sucker” and “Cool”. We then watched them on the talk show before they came out and performed their songs for real. It was such an amazing experience, and I was very thankful to be standing in a spot where I could see and hear one of the most popular bands of the year.
8. The New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is how we got absolutely everywhere. Before we could get on the subway, we learned how to read the maps and which trains to take when. Although the subway was sometimes crowded and overwhelming, it was a very efficient means of transportation.
7. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise Around the Hudson
On the last day of our trip, we took a small cruise around the Hudson River. For the best view we all sat on the top deck of the boat. The tour guide told us all about the history of New York and its involvement in the American Revolution. He then showed us where all of the famous buildings and structures were, such as The Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge. Of course, we saw the Statue of Liberty and took some really great pictures. I really enjoyed the cruise and getting to see almost all of the New York skyline.
6. The One World Trade Center Observatory
The One World Trade Center Observatory is 104 stories up and is glass all the way around allowing for an amazing view of all of Manhattan. Although slightly dizzying for the first few minutes, the top floors of the One World Trade Center are an awesome place to visit.
5. Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is an area in New York with lots of fun shops, studios, and art installations. While in Rockefeller center I visited the new FAO Shwarz toy store. At FAO Shwarz, I bought a stuffed animal for me and one for my friend. I also really enjoyed looking at all the interesting sculptures scattered throughout the area. It was really cool getting to see where the famous skating rink and Christmas tree are during the winter.
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4. Times Square
Times Square was super cool with all its famous light-up billboards and Broadway show signs. Times Square has every type of store you can imagine, including a Disney, M&M, and Hershey’s. My all-time favorite part of Times Square was Ellen’s Stardust Diner. Ellen’s is a restaurant where all the waiters and waitresses sing and dance to Broadway showtunes. It was pretty awesome getting to eat a burger and watch your waiters perform a duet at the same time.
3. Central Park
Central Park was such a different world compared to the hustle and bustle of the city. In Central Park, all the noises of the city are muted by the sounds of birds chirping and trees rustling. I’ve never seen so many trees! Central Park was such a beautiful place to walk around and take a break.
2. Hamilton Q&A Workshop
When we walked into the Hamilton workshop, we hadn’t been told exactly who would be hosting the q&a. We only knew we would be meeting a cast member of the musical. We happened to be lucky enough to meet the one and only Thayne Jasperson, who plays Samuel Seabury. We were given an hour to ask Thayne Jasperson anything we wanted about Broadway, auditions, and his experiences doing musical theatre. It was such a cool experience learning from a Broadway star.
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1.Broadway
Out of all the things we did in New York City, my absolute favorite part was going to Broadway and watching Wicked and The Play That Goes Wrong. Broadway shows are everything you can imagine plus so much more. The singing, acting, music and sets put any show I have ever been in, to shame. I would absolutely go back to see more shows in the future. Lubbock-Cooper High School NYC Trip |
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THE
Seeing the Sights
SIGHTS
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www.edwardjones.com
Kyle Motheral
Member SIPC
Financial Advisor
MKD-8652B-A
6102 Chicago Ave Suite 200 Lubbock, TX 79424-1320 806-783-3072
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THE
SIGHTS
The 9/11 Memorial was breathtaking.
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THE
SIGHTS
We spent much of our time walking around looking up, as the incredible sights of NYC were all around us... especially above!
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WE WORK
FOR YOU
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THE
SIGHTS
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THE
FUN
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Brynnan Brooks photos
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FUN
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FUN
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Mary Lynn Hokett photos Lubbock-Cooper High School NYC Trip |
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FUN
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Proudly supported by:
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THE
FUN
www.edwardjones.com
Kyle Motheral
Member SIPC
Financial Advisor
MKD-8652B-A
6102 Chicago Ave Suite 200 Lubbock, TX 79424-1320 806-783-3072
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THE
FUN
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THE
Flying Complications
BRYNNAN
BROOKS
MEMORIES
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T
he first time I went to New York, we got held up in Chinatown and missed our flight home, so we had to stay an extra night in a hotel. It was pretty stressful in the moment, but the extra night was great and it was a pretty exciting story for anyone
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interested in the trip. This time, the trip there went well even though our breakfast at Denny’s at 3 in the morning after driving overnight in a bus was quite entertaining. The trip back, however, did not go as smoothly. We did not miss our flight. In fact, we waited for an hour or so to
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actually get going, but we made it to Dallas. When we got there, though, it seemed that the airport had closed its gates and we had to wait on the plane, looking at the airport from our windows, but with no way to get off. After a few hours of waiting for someone to get there, we were finally able to get
our luggage and board the bus to head home. We were already pretty exhausted, so you can imagine our reactions when we found out we didn’t have a bus. Some signals were crossed and nobody had driven up to pick us up. There had also been bad weather in Dallas that day and there were many power
outages, meaning that almost all of the hotels were full of people wanting lights and air conditioning. We finally found a hotel that had enough rooms for all of us and a taxi service to transport all of us there. We had gone so long without a nice bed that we didn’t care about the quality of the
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THE
MEMORIES
hotel or the fact that we had no way to get dinner, we just wanted to go to sleep. When we finally arrived at our hotel, my roommates and I were ready to just crash, but when one of the girls noticed a few strange black dots covering the pillows, we pulled back the covers to reveal many more of the tiny bedbugs, we figured we could wait a while longer for a soft bed. The hotel moved us to a different room and we finally got some sleep before a new bus got there to drive us the final few hours home. We were all dirty, smelly, and exhausted when we finally got home, but I know I, for one, couldn’t just crash in my own nice bed. I talked for hours, I’m sure, to friends and family and told them all the friends and memories I made on this amazing trip.
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