JUNE 1993 - THE ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL U.S. TOUR
My first experience as tour co-director was with the St. Anthony School Guam in 1993. The tour stops included NEW YORK CITY, WASHINGTON DC, ORLANDO FLORIDA and LOS ANGELES. For the first stop at New York City (3 nights), highlights included Backstage on Broadway seminar organized by Field Studies Center. Workshop facilitator was Richard Warren Pugh, who was an Equity officer and original cast member of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Performances attended by the group included THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CATS, LES MISERABLES and NUNSENSE. Next stop was Washington DC for 2 nights where a performance was conducted at the Community Center. Highlight activities in the DC area included the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Monuments Tour. Third stop was Orlando Florida for 4 nights where a performance was scheduled at the Home for the Aged. Highlight activities included a visit to EPCOT, the Magic Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon. Final stop was a 2 night stay in Los Angeles. Highlight activities included a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and a visit to the Avenue of Stars on Hollywood.
APRIL 1994 - THE ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL JAPAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM
This exchange program was organized by the Rotary Club of Guam and was an annual exchange/homestay program for St. Anthony School. For 5 days, students and teachers lived with host families in Ako City, Japan, 1 hour away from Kansai Airport, Osaka. Highlights of the homestay were cultural exchange and English language teaching sessions to young students, visits to the salt farm and craft center in Ako City and a day trip at the local theme park. After the homestay, the group proceeded to Tokyo for 3 nights and attended a performance of Kabuki and a day trip to Tokyo Disneyland.
APRIL 1998 - THE FBLG PERFORMING ARTS TOUR OF MANILA AND CEBU
The FB Leon Guerrero Middle School Choir and Band organized a trip to Manila and Cebu, Philippines. HIghlights of the tour include performance in Manila and a city tour. In Cebu, the group was hosted by City Mayor Alvin Garcia and activities included a special audience with the Mayor, performance at the SM City Center Court, city tour including a visit to Plantation Bay and a guitar factory.
MAY 1999 - THE FBLG DRAMA CLUB TOUR OF NEW YORK CITY AND LOS ANGELES
The FBLG Drama Club conducted a New York/Los Angeles workshop and seminar tour in coordination with Field Studies Center New York. The group did a Backstage on Broadway seminar and an after-theatre talk with cast of DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, attended a performance of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In Los Angeles, the group attended a Musical Theatre Auditions and Careers workshop with Disney Magic Music Days at Disneyland. Other activities also included 2 days at Disneyland Park, a day at Universal Studios Hollywood and a visit to Hollywood Boulevard.
JULY 1999 - THE TASIS WEEKEND TOUR TO YORK, UK
One of the weekend trips at the 1999 TASIS (The American School in Switzerland) Summer program was scheduled for York, UK. I acted only as a chaperone as the whole program had already been pre-planned. Highlights of the weekend trip included visiting the York Cathedral and seeing the major cultural and historical sights of this ancient city.
APRIL 2001 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL GLEE CLUB LOS ANGELES TOUR
The St. John's School Glee Club conducted their first tour to Los Angeles with a Performance at Disney's California Adventure. The group had the distinction of being the first Guamanian group to perform at the theme park. The Spring trip was coordinated with the Disney Magic Music Days program and included two workshops - one on Auditions and Careers and another on Show Choir. Other highlight activities included attendance to DISNEY'S THE LION KING at the Pantages with an after-theatre talk and backstage tour, a visit to the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, a drive through of Rodeo Drive, and a day trip to Universal Studios Hollywood.
MARCH 2004 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL NEW YORK CITY FESTIVAL TOUR
The St. John's School Glee Club became the first Guamanian group to participate in the Heritage Music Festival New York in an adjudicated festival performance. Using a repertoire that represented Guam's cultural heritage, the group was awarded the Gold Medal for Performance and the Spirit of New York Award. Aside from the festival, highlights of the tour included attendance to 4 Broadway musicals - WICKED (original cast), DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, FAME THE MUSICAL, RENT and AIDA. A pre-show seminar and after-theater talk with the cast of FAME THE MUSICAL was also done. Other worthwhile activities included a performance at the National headquarters of the Episcopal Church in the United States, a visit to Liberty and Ellis Island, a campus visit to New York University and Columbia University, the Ground Zero Memorial visit, and the hop-on, hop-off City Tour.
MARCH 2005 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL MANILA RECORDING TOUR
The SJS Glee Club, Middle School Honor Choir and the Primary Choir conducted a special recording tour to Manila, Philippines for an interaction with recording professionals. With noted Philippine composer-songwriter Trina Belamide acting as record producer, the students got to experience recording in a professional-grade recording facility, the same studio where the top singers in the Philippine music industry did their recordings. Group recordings were pre-recorded on Guam with noted producer Dante Trinidad. Over 100 participants attended this tour. Highlights of the tour included a school visit/exchange program at Brent International School in Mamplasan, Laguna, a day trip to Villa Escudero for an exposure to Philippine music and culture, and a Sunday service music sharing at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Forbes Park in Makati and attendance to the Repertory Philippines' production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. The group also gave a donation to Bantay Bata 163 of the ABS-CBN Foundation.
MARCH 2006 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL CONCERT TOUR TO LONDON AND PARIS
The St. John's School Glee Club conducted a concert tour to London and Paris for Spring Break 2006. Prepared with a program to highlight the cultural heritage of Guam, the group performed at a Hazelwood School in London and at a community center in Paris, organized by Casterbridge Tours. Highlights of the trip included a pre-show seminar and attendance to a performance of LES MISERABLES, a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, a visit to the British Museum, a walking tour of the West End Theatre district, a bus tour of Paris with a night cruise on the River Seine, and a 2-day trip to Disneyland Paris Resort.
MARCH 2007 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL SONGS FOR SMILES TOUR TO CEBU, PHILIPPINES
Dubbed SONGS FOR SMILES, the 2007 St. John's School Glee Club trip featured the performance of the hit Broadway musical SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE sponsored by the Cebu Arts Council and performed at the SM Cinema 1 theater. This was the Philippine premiere of this musical and was performed by the students and teachers of St. John's School. Highlights of the trip included a press conference with the local media, homestay program for the older students, a special audience with Vice Mayor Rama, a tour visiting the cultural sights of the city including a guitar factory, and a day trip to Bohol to see the Chocolate Hills, Loboc River Cruise and the Tarsier monkey. This tour also marked the first humanitarian tour with each trip participant sponsoring a child's cleft palate surgery via Operation Smile. The trip participants met their sponsored children and spent one day with them, acting as "Angel of the Day" by treating their children to a fun day at the SM Mall. The group was also invited to a party in their honor at the residence of Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung, whose MSY Foundation oversees Operation Smile in Cebu. Additionally, the students donated books to the University of the Philippines Cebu High School.
MARCH 2008 - THE ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL IT'S A BROADWAY WORLD TOUR TO SINGAPORE AND KUALA LUMPUR
The final trip organized by the St. John's School Glee Club was the performance and humanitarian tour to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The group, in cooperation with the non-profit group Music For Good, prepared a special Broadway musical revue which was performed at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay Recital Studio and the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Highlights of the Singapore trip included a tour of the Esplanade facility, a visit to the Night Safari and a Sunday service performance at the Church of the Sacred Heart. The group then traveled to Kuala Lumpur to perform at the Grand Ballroom of the Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur for the first evening ceremony of the East Asia Regional Council for Overseas Schools (EARCOS) conference. For the humanitarian aspect, four charities were the beneficiaries of over USD1000 each - Erica's House for Abused Children on Guam, Bantay Bata 163 in the Philippines, the Pathlight School for Autism in Singapore and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees Tzu Chi Foundation School for Rohingya children in Kuala Lumpur. The group also did actual interaction with their beneficiaries in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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MAY 2008 - THE YCIS WORLD CLASSROOM TOUR TO CZECH REPUBLIC
The World Classroom program for Year 8 students at Yew Chung International School took a trip to the Czech Republic. Starting with a visit to Terezin Monument, the group then went to the city of Cesky-Krumlov for a 3 day tour. Then the group headed off to Prague for a 10 day trip, visiting the sights and doing a visit to the old folks home.
APRIL 2010 - THE YCIS REP NEW YORK CITY FESTIVAL TOUR
The Yew Chung International School Secondary Rep and the Chamber Choir joined forces to represent Hong Kong at the New York Heritage Music Festival in New York City. Featuring a special repertoire showcasing Hong Kong and Chinese music, the group was awarded the Gold Award for Performance and the Spirit of New York Award. Highlights of the tour included a special one-on-one interaction with noted Broadway producer Marc Routh (who hosted us for dinner at his house), Broadway Classroom with the cast of BILLY ELLIOTT, a visit to New York University with St. John's School Guam alumni as hosts, a campus visit to Juilliard Music School and attendance to WICKED, BILLY ELLIOTT and MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. The group also coordinated with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and had a personal interaction with an actor living with HIV. The group then presented their donation of over USD1000 to the charity.
OCTOBER 2010 - THE YCIS GODSPELL TOUR TO GUAM
Working in close collaboration with St. Thomas Aquinas School on Guam, the group performed the Broadway musical GODSPELL at the Leo Palace Grand Ballroom on Guam. This unique project was done with half of the cast from Hong Kong and the other half from Guam where auditions were done via Skype and choreography was coordinated via regular emails. The Hong Kong group spent 5 days prior to performance to put the show together with the Guam cast. Highlights of the tour included a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe, a radio interview at K57 radio station with Patti Arroyo, a special audience with His Excellency Archbishop Anthony Apuron and Senator Judy Won-Pat Borja, a day tour of the island including a cultural workshop at Gef Pago Ancient Chamorro village.
JUNE/JULY 2014 - THE YCIS REP CONCERT TOUR TO CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES
The YCIS Rep represented Hong Kong at the Windy City Youth Music Festival in Chicago. This festival gave the members an experience to work with noted conductor Dr. Randall Stroope. Highlights of the Chicago visit included attendance to a performance of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL and visiting Millennium Park. The festival concert was held at the Merit School of Music Recital Hall. The tour continued to Los Angeles with a focus on performing arts careers. Activities included a visit to WB Studios, Burbank and Universal Studios; an afternoon at the Cirque School in Hollywood; a walking tour of Hollywood Boulevard; a visit to the University of California Los Angeles School of Television, Film and Theatre; and an afternoon at Maryvale Orphanage where the YCIS Rep members bonded and connected with the girls and donated USD1000 to the charity. The main highlight of the trip was attending two workshops at Disneyland under the Disney Performing Arts program - SoundTrack Sessions with Bret Simmons and Musical Theatre Show Choir with Jennifer Love-Simmons; and performing at Disney's California Adventure Hollywood Backlot Stage. Also included in the tour was sharing from former students of Mr. and Mrs. Nazareno - Shanti Leon Guerrero, Akiko Katagiri, Dominic Cadiz and Ashley Bonanno. The tour ended with a fun dinner at In-N-Out Burger Sunset Boulevard and going back in style aboard the LA Party Bus.
JUNE/JULY 2015 - THE YCIS REP PERFORMANCE TOUR AT THE AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, SYDNEY
The YCIS Rep represented Hong Kong at the 26th Australian International Music Festival in Sydney, Australia and came home with the Silver award. This festival gave the members an experience of a lifetime through the various performance opportunities provided, namely a performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Sunday, 28 June; an adjudicated performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Verbrugghen Hall on Tuesday, 30 June; an inspirational music concert at the St. Mary's Cathedral on Thursday, 2 July and the Festival closing massed choir under the direction of noted conductor Liz Scott held at the Sydney Town Hall. While in Sydney, the group also experienced touring the major sights including Bondi Beach, Taronga Zoo, The Rocks and the Australian Museum. The tour was capped with the group attending a matinee performance of Les Miserables at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney.
JULY 2016 - THE YALC BROADWAY KIDS SUMMER WORKSHOP TOUR TO MACAU
As the mid-camp activity for the Broadway Kids Summer Camp Workshop 2016, the campers and their parents spent a night at the Holiday Inn Cotai Strip in Macau. The trip was arranged to attend the evening performance of SHREK THE MUSICAL. Pre-show dinner was held at the Hard Rock Cafe Macau at City of Dreams before proceeding to the Venetian Theatre for the evening performance. The show was followed by a post-show talk and interaction with the cast.
OCTOBER 2016 - THE YCIS IB THEATRE CLASS OF 2018 IB TAPS LONDON TOUR
The YCIS IB Theatre Class of 2018 students, alongside the IB Art and Music classes had a one-week Experiential Learning tour to London. From 1-10 October, IB Theatre students experienced theatre related activities in the city. Highlights include the Theatre and Performance exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the West End Theatre District Walking Tour, the London Dungeon, Walking Tour of Shakespeare's London, British Museum special exhibition on Wayang Kulit, backstage tours of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and National Theatre, and attendance to performances of Disney's The Lion King, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, The Comedy about a Bank robbery and No's Knife. The Theatre students also attended TAPS (Theatre Arts Programme Symposium), a 3-day gathering of IB Theatre students to learn, work and play together.
JUNE 2017 - THE YCIS IGCSE YEAR 10 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES TOUR TO CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
As a Year 10 Form Tutor, I got to accompany my students to the Global Perspectives Tour to Chiang Mai.The trip had a packed itinerary arranged in rotation. Highlights of the trip included Elephant Park, Zip Line, Thai Cooking, Night Market, and Kayaking to spend the night at a Floating House on the Lake.
APRIL 2018 - YALC BROADWAY KIDS SPRING WORKSHOP TOUR TO MANILA
YALC Broadway Kids Show Choir embarked on an overnight visit to Manila to attend a performance of Disney's The Lion King held at the Solaire Resort. Prior to the performance, the group was able to meet Gabriel Diongson who played Young Simba in the Manila run of the show. The following morning, they attended a workshop led by the show choir master class teacher Jojo Urquico and his friends - Lawrence Mosman, Tricia Canilao and Marge Dancel.
JUNE 2018 - THE YCIS IGCSE YEAR 10 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES TOUR TO CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
For the second year in a row, I got to accompany my students to the Global Perspectives Tour to Chiang Mai. The trip had a packed itinerary arranged in rotation. Highlights of the trip included Elephant Park, Zip Line, Thai Cooking, Night Market, and Kayaking to spend the night at a Floating House on the Lake.
APRIL 2019 - THE YALC BROADWAY KIDS SHOWTUNES @SEA ON BOARD VOYAGER OF THE SEAS TO OKINAWA & TAIWAN
YALC Broadway Kids Show Choir 2019 project called Showtunes @Sea was the show choir performance tour on board Royal Caribbean Lines' Voyager of the Seas. For 5 nights, the group sailed the seas and landed in Okinawa and Taiwan. On the last day at sea, the Show choir did their performance of their concert at the world-class venue La Scala Theatre.