FJA Students Attend Excursion in NYC

As a part of our experiential education initiatives, 12 FJA students had the opportunity to attend the performing arts trip in New York City this week. The trip included an NBC tour at 30 Rock – the NBC Studios, workshops, talkbacks, and three performances; Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, and Tootsie.

It is safe to say that our students had a fun-filled, jam-packed three days. Here is what our students had to say about their experiences:

“Seeing Dear Evan Hansen was one of the many highlights of our trip. We gathered on the balcony of the Music Box Theatre and prepared ourselves for the emotional journey that we were about to embark on. The whole show, everyone was fully engaged in what was happening on stage. By the end of the first act, the tears were rolling; by the end of the second, the floodgates were wide open. It was a pleasure to meet some of the actors afterwards at the stage door. Overall, it was an experience to remember.” 
– Ella Egrin ’21 and Lili Tarnopol ’21

“Going backstage on many popular shows (such as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show) was eye opening and awe inspiring. Especially since we both want to go into the broadcasting and production industry, we feel that touring NBC was both intriguing and exciting at the same time.”
– Cassie Menuck ’21 and Sabrina Carson ’21

“The NBC tour was a blast. We went through a journey of the history of broadcasting, got a look into the production of current television shows, and made our own talk show with the set they had. The most amazing part was the NBC “page” hosts we had, they were so awesome and sweet! One of the pages (Rachel) was Vine famous as the girl from the “and they were roommates” vine, so exciting!”
– Asa Weinstein ’21

“Having the opportunity to see Beetlejuice was one of the most amazing parts of the trip to New York. The show on Broadway was filled with incredible sets, costumes, and the cast was fantastic. This huge production showed me how wild and entertaining a musical can be, and there were moments of the show that had me laughing and overwhelmed with emotion. We also had the amazing opportunity to meet with Dana Steingold, an actress in Beetlejuice from West Bloomfield, who spoke to us about the process of making it big on Broadway and how to jumpstart a career in the performing arts.”
– Ilan Weiss ’21

“I think Beetlejuice was a hilarious and an extraordinary show. It has so many great parts and props and the actors are amazing. The singing and dancing is phenomenal. In all, it was a hilarious and spectacular show.”
-Katelyn Winkelman ’23

“‘Fosse Fosse’, the musical theatre workshop, was an enlightening experience for me. It allowed us to put ourselves out there together in a fun and non-judgmental atmosphere. Led by broadway professionals, we sang and danced until Asa’s legs gave out. When asked about competition on Broadway and in life, the instructors said that at a certain point everyone is incredible; ultimately it comes down to work ethic and the uniqueness that you bring to the table.”
– Andrew Schulman ’20

“Tootsie portraits the struggle of achieving your dreams, and how perfection is not the end of the road. It also mentions the struggle of women in the acting industry.”
– Celia Levy ’23