Haverford H.S. Students Perform In Disney World

It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for seven Haverford High School students last week as they performed in Disney World with the show choir called The Shooting Stars.

The Haverford High students were among a group of about 30 singers and dancers who performed during a five-day trip, which included a half-day workshop run by Disney World choreographers along with their performance in Downtown Disney.

These talented singers and dancers from area high schools are the flagship of the Upper Darby Summer Stage Theater program. They perform all year round, and highlight the award winning Summer Stage program. These entertainers must audition to be accepted into the elite performance group and are held to the highest standards of the highly acclaimed Summer Stage program.

For graduated Haverford High School seniors Ali Caiazzo, Rachel Medori and Devin Lloyd, this trip was especially exciting since this was their last performance with the group before leaving for college. Other Haverford High student performers included Jared Gross and Emily Moylan, who will be seniors this year, and Sara Nealley and Tristan Horan, who will be juniors.

“Performing in Disney World was amazing! Disney is the happiest and most magical place on earth, and to have the opportunity to perform there with all of the people I love the most is totally awesome,” said Caiazzo, who heads to Temple University in Philadelphia this fall to study musical theater. 

Medori leaves for Point Park University in Pittsburgh next week to study in their performing arts conservatory.  “Performing in Disney World was amazing and a once in a life time chance! I was in awe.”

Lloyd will attend Columbia University in New York City to study theater or social sciences. This was Devin’s first trip to Disney World.  “The performance in Downtown Disney was my favorite performance in my three years as a Shooting Star. The performance was spot on with energy and commitment. We definitely gave everything we had to that performance, and it was one of the best performing experiences I've ever had.”

Horan and Gross, who are part of the Summer Stage singing quartet, said they were honored to meet Disney’s own quartet, the Dapper Dans.  

“One of the members of the Disney quartet actually turned out to be a former member of the Keepsake Quartet, who were the 1992 International Quartet Champions," Horan says, adding, “Performing in Disney World was of course fun, but it really helped me understand the hard work and dedication it takes to be a performer at Disney World.”

Nealley, a Haverford High junior, says of her experience, “Performing in Disney World, particularly the Disney Medley, is one of the coolest experiences I've ever had with the Shooting Stars. Our performance of the Circle of Life was particularly powerful; a lot of us started to cry!”

The Shooting Stars perform at a variety of events year round and are in great demand. They will perform at the Philadelphia Aids Walk this fall and have been invited to perform in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The students who perform in the Shooting Stars program speak highly of the program, Horan says, “Being a member of shooting stars has most definitely impacted my future. It has taught me that if you put 100 percent into everything you do, not only will you come out successful, but also you will have enjoyed the work it took to get there.”

Lloyd says, “Being a part of Shooting Stars has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Nowhere can you find a group of such devoted, caring people who simply love performing together. It has given all of us a place to belong and grow, and I really will never forget the experiences I have had as a Shooter.”

This October, the founder and executive director of the Summer Stage program, Harry Dietzler, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17^th annual Barrymore Awards for excellence in theater for his time and devotion to the Summer Stage program over the last 36 years.

For more information on the Shooting Stars program or to have them perform at your event, go to their website http://www.udpac.org/summerstage/shooting_stars.php

(Editor's Note: Patch freelance reporter Judy Gallagher attended the trip because her daughter, Emily Moylan, is a member of the Shooting Stars.)