PUC on Broadway Shines for the Third Year

On Sunday, May 11, Pacific Union College students from all majors and departments performed PUC on Broadway for the third year in a row. Alongside students from PUC Prep, they performed songs from various musicals and movies for the community to enjoy in the newly remodeled Paulin Hall Auditorium.

The students chose songs from musicals they liked and wanted to see performed live. This year's songs were from the musicals The Great Gatsby, Hercules, Pippin, The Wizard of Oz, Anastasia, The Lightning Thief, and the stage production of Beauty and the Beast. They also performed selected songs from the movies Frozen and Tick, Tick... Boom! Based on the audience response, the majority enjoyed PUC’s adaptation of “Therapy” from Tick, Tick... Boom!

Milton Perez, a senior voice performance major, was one of the directors of PUC on Broadway this year. After being a part of the last two shows, the past directors asked him to run the production. With a desire to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work, Perez was inspired to direct and accepted the role.

He and his co-director, Jalexis Herman, a freshman liberal studies major, began production at the start of this school year to research songs. They brought along freshman nursing student Faith Philips to lead and teach the choreography, in addition to PUC Assistant Professor of Music Ronnie Zanella as the accompanist, and PUC students Nick Jefferson and Jacob Capiña to handle technical duties.

This year, the students impressed Perez with their overwhelming talent and dedication to every practice despite their busy schedules. "We have lots of talent at PUC, and being able to help showcase it has been an incredible opportunity," said Herman. I enjoyed getting to know people better and inspiring them to step outside of their comfort zones.

Perez hopes other students will want to join next year’s production. “Even though we do have an audition process, it is more of a way to help us gauge each individual performer and see what they are capable of,” he said. “We also want to see people enjoy music and watch their fellow students express themselves through song no matter what.”

PUC on Broadway gives students who are generally not in the spotlight a place to shine. The show helps boost their confidence and showcase their hidden talents on stage for all to see. Most of all, since the first production, it has created a community that brings students from different backgrounds together and contributes to the campus culture.

Songs and students who performed this year were: 

• Anatasia - “In My Dreams”
  • Jazmin Baltodano
• Anastasia - “In A Crowd of Thousands”
  • Emily Lalas & Milton Perez
• Frozen - “Let It Go”
  • Mackenzie Wheeler - soloist
• The Great Gatsby - “Roaring On”
  • Marc Ejurango - soloist
  • Sammy Camacho & Jazmin Baltodano  - ensemble solos
• Hercules - “I Won’t Say I’m In Love”
  • Jalexis Herman (Meg) - soloist
• High School Musical - “Bet on It”
  • Jacob Duran - soloist
• Les Misérables - “Épilogue”
  • Milton Perez (Jean Valjean) - soloist
  • Angela Abellana (Cosette) - soloist
  • Derek Delos Reyes (Marius Pontmercy) - soloist
  • Devon (Fantine) - soloist
  • Emily Lalas (Éponine Thénardier) - soloist
• Les Misérables - “I Dreamed A Dream”
  • Dovan Geraldez-Martella - soloist
• The Lightning Thief - “Good Kid”
  • Sammy Camacho - soloist
• Phantom of the Opera - “Think of Me”
  • Elena Blum - soloist
• Pippin - “On the Right Track”
  • Leila Beltran & Jacob Duran
• Tick, Tick... Boom! - Therapy
  • Jayda Hamilton & Sammy Camacho
• Wicked - “The Wizard and I”
  • Leila Beltran - soloist

Ensemble: 

• Elena Blum
• Lawren Slack
• Jazmin Baltodano
• Mackenzie Wheeler
• Emily Lalas
• Leila Beltran
• Jayda Hamilton
• Sammy Camacho
• Derek Delos Reyes
• Marc Ejurango
• Varren Singuila
• Angela Abellana
• Dovan Geraldez-Martella
• Milton Perez
• Alex Sweet
• Jalexis Herman
• Jacob Duran
• Gabe Lopez