The K-Pop Club’s dance group JVNE stuns the stage wearing fuchsia and white.
Constantinos Krenteras ’24 plays the drums in the band the “Chillers.”
Hollywood and Broadway magic illuminated this Family Weekend’s performances of Grasshopper, Andover’s annual student-produced variety show. The four sold-out shows over Family Weekend featured Academy Awards- and Broadway-themed music performances and dance groups.
Nine student producers, called “Muses,” took charge of organizing and leading Grasshopper 2023. Specializing in theater, dance, music, sound, and lighting, the Muses were also responsible for selecting acts and establishing a theme for the show. Jacob Kaiser ’24, one of the Muses, expressed difficulty with the audition process, which spanned two weeks.
“The process of choosing the groups was difficult. We had to make some decisions that were really hard, which could also make some people mad. Eventually, it felt fulfilling as in my opinion, we put together a successful show… Grasshopper is a display of what Andover students can do when they band together and work really hard on something,” said Kaiser.
Starting off the night, the Chillers — a name referencing the band The Killers — performed the band’s classic song “Mr. Brightside.” The Chillers were one of three student bands that were featured. Will Lucas ’24, the band’s bassist, noted the hectic preparation process.
“We rehearsed a little while before we had any auditions or callbacks. The majority of the preparation came a week before performances. With tech rehearsals, and Senior [and Faculty dress rehearsal], we kept working on throughout the whole time. That was where the bulk of our preparation was,” said Lucas.
Keynotes, one of two a cappella groups in the show, performed a medley of four popular songs featuring several soloist: “Falling” by Alicia Keys, “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith, “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child, and “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and Lauren Hill. Amina Gorman ’26 spoke on the group’s song choices and the motives behind them.
“The Co-Heads used those songs because they were associated with Grammy Award-winning singers. Or they were performed or nominated for the Grammys… We were trying to give off a very diva, very red carpet and Hollywood,” said Gorman.
Ashley Park ’24, a Muse and one of the co-heads of Asian Performing Arts Club (APAC), explained her decision to incorporate live violinists Sophie Tung ’25 and Karen Wang ’24 into APAC’s dance act.
“I hope the audience found the performance unique, as it is not every day you see a violinist collaborating with a dance group. I know a lot of my friends and people in the audience were in awe of the decision. That was one of the biggest compliments I had gotten. I thought using ‘Shut Down’ by Blackpink would be a good way to incorporate string players, as the song originally used violinists,” said Park.
Goose & Moose, a seven-person jazz band, livened up the audience with a surprise rap by Claire Wang ’26. The group performed “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwin.
Wang said, “At first, we were going to do a group improv situation, but that was way too messy. So we had to readjust the form and there was this long empty section. We didn’t know what to do for it, and I said I wanted to do a rap because I rapped for Night on the Knoll last year and everyone agreed. At first I was embarrassed to rap, I’m not a rapper. I did it [because] I thought it would be really fun, [and] then it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Following Goose & Moose, Tiffany Zhao ’27 performed a traditional Chinese sword dance. As the show’s only solo act, Zhao captured the audience’s attention by showcasing her athletic and dynamic movements.
“The reason why [I performed this] is because it is a tradition that I have been doing for 10 years now. I wanted to bring this to the PA community… The audience was pretty hype, especially for the senior show. Everyone was screaming and it was tons of fun. It was really positive for everyone… I wanted the audience to see what real kung fu was like, along with representing Chinese culture,” said Zhao.
Emily Wu ’25 brought her own original song, “In the Moment,” to Grasshopper, debuting it with the band Handle with Care. Wu highlighted the importance of original pieces and ideas in such a public event on campus.
“I thought it would be important to bring an original to [Grasshopper]. I have had this song written since I was 14, two years ago, and I have been waiting to use it. It was always my dream to perform it on campus. ‘In the Moment’ was written to remind everyone to live in the moment, and not worry about the future or past,” said Wu.
Editor’s Note: Claire Wang ’26 is an Associate Graphic Editor for The Phillipian.
