On November 15th and 16th at 7:00 pm, the audience of Stacy Auditorium took a glimpse into the world of St. Louis, Missouri as Pine Crest students presented their production of the musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. The musical took place in 1904, a time filled with frilly dresses and pastel petticoats. As the actors and actresses performed their solos and delivered their lines with enthusiasm on the stage, below the stage sixteen musicians played their hearts out hoping to provide a wonderful musical backdrop for the performers’ production. 

This year’s pit orchestra was made up of sixteen musicians, high school students and professionals alike. From Edgar Abreu, a singing instructor and pianist from the Chorus Department, to Teresa Esparza, a cello instructor in the Orchestra Department, to Allan Finn, a band instructor and clarinetist in the Band Department, almost every angle of the Fine Arts Music Department was represented in this year’s performance. 

“Playing in the pit orchestra was such an amazing experience because I got to learn new music and become a better musician alongside teachers and classmates. It was especially fun when we all started dancing during some of the songs since nobody could see us under the stage anyway,” said junior Spencer Bauman, a french horn player in the pit. 

The musicians were led by Antoine Khouri, the Upper School Orchestra Director, otherwise known as Mr. K by his pit orchestra. 

“I have loved playing in musicals since I was in high school. This year’s performance was a great opportunity for students to get a chance to perform alongside professionals while having fun,” said Mr. K. 

Director of Meet Me in St. Louis Nikki Boyd expressed her appreciation for the addition of a live orchestra saying, “There’s just something about live music that can excite an audience…it raises the standard of the production as a whole, especially in a classic show like this with songs that grandparents and parents in the audience might recognize.”

Amongst many of the tunes that the orchestra played alongside the singers, there were a few familiar melodies the audience may have recognized: “Yankee Doodle,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and the “First Noel.”

After the final performance members of the pit orchestra closed their music books and stepped out from underneath the stage to receive their flowers alongside the actors and actresses on stage. 

Junior Kiara Garcia, a violinist in the pit, said, “even though it was bittersweet to end our last performance for this year I can’t wait to do it again for the bonding experience we had, but also for the cupcakes.”