Buzz Lightyear welcomes in guests while Lightning McQueen zooms by in a hurry to get to his seat and Captain Jack Sparrow is off somewhere sword fighting a fellow pirate. These stories that people read about and watched growing up came alive last Thursday when Orchestra performed in the auditorium showing that they still have the kid in them.

Walt Disney attended Orchestra’s Children’s Concert by supplying the imagination with characters from his works. Guests were encouraged to dress up as their favorite Disney persona in support of the event. At7 p.m.performances byHamiltonandArnoldMiddle schoolskicked off the evening and were followed by Orchestra playing the beginning song to Disney’s motion picture Up along with some other pieces from Cars, Toy’s Story, and Pirates of theCaribbean. They also had guest appearances swing by including Jack Sparrow, Mr. Incredible, Russell from Up, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Ariel, Jasmine, Aladdin and Esmeralda from Hunchback. In between acts, the audience members participated in face paint, balloon animals, a cake walk, a raffle and a silent auction. All proceeds went to Orchestra.

Hard work and dedication was necessary in order for the night’s events to be successful. All class time was devoted to the concert and separate sections had their own practice times.

“Our focus every day in class is the Children’s Concert,” freshman Ross Donelly said. “Different sections have rehearsals on different days of the week as well.”

The progress achieved through time spent practicing hasn’t gone unoticed.

“All the students are wonderful,” Orchestra teacher Ms. Robicheaux said. “My students have gotten so good in less than a month; by the end of the year they’re going to be awesome.”

Every year Orchestra hosts a different themed Children’s Concert the Thursday before Halloween. Some past themes have been Renaissance, Spongebob, X Files, Survivor, and Circus. This event is a tradition and fun for those who are involved.

“The Children’s Concert is an amazing thing,” Donelly said. “It’s fun for kids of all ages and Orchestra enjoys playing the songs.”

This concert in particular, however, is different.

“We get to dress up for the concert,” Ms. Robicheaux said. “We’re normally in evening gowns and suits playing serious music, we’re always so serious, but now we get to be silly.”