BWW Blog: Anastasia Sims-Chin - The Rainbow Connection 

Everyone has heard about it, all around the world. The deadliest shooting in US history happened right here, in Orlando. As actors, it's mind boggling as to why anyone would be unaccepting to others because of their sexual orientation, race, gender, or otherwise. In theatre, we are a family, and everyone is accepted. The only good that could come out of a tragedy like this is the need for the community to come together and make a statement for the LGBTQ community. As an OCPS and Winter Park High School student I got the amazing experience of singing with 400 other students and teachers the song "Beautiful City" from Godspell. This song represented how we can come together and make Orlando beautiful again.

Although there was a great tragedy, we are one community and we continue to support one another. Diacom Production donated videography services, and the Orange County Public Schools' Senior Administrator of Visual and Performing Arts, Scott Evans, arranged the event with the help of many teachers and administrators who came together to make it all possible. The solo at the very beginning of the song was performed by Daniel Tracht from Lake Nona High School, and the song was conducted by Jeffery Redding, who we also rehearsed with beforehand. The local news, Wesh 2, also came to broadcast excerpts of the live performance. It was a long process, but every student and teacher there wanted to be there and made an effort to create a beautiful tribute. We recorded multiple times so the videos could be put together from different angles and takes, and beforehand the girls and boys split up to learn the song and polish it quickly. After rehearsing and learning the song, the administrators helped get the students up on the stage, risers, stairs, and floor so all of us could fit and be seen. Before recording it we did a "dress rehearsal" on stage multiple times.

Some students were crying during and after the song ended, and a lot of us really bonded over our love for the arts and those in need. I even became friends with a girl standing behind me from another high school who knew many people who were hurt. I There was lots of hugs and tears, there is truth to the idea that tragedies truly test the power of love between even strangers. Jessica Clunan of Winter Park High School said of the tribute, "I think it was beautiful how the youth of Orlando got together to perform for not only our affected community but to share with the world the power and unity Orlando has and will have from now on. We all worked incredibly hard to prepare for this in such a short amount of time. It was such an amazing experience to perform as an act for the community." Grace Moore, another student at Winter Park High School, said "It was an amazing opportunity to come together after the heart breaking event that our city has suffered through and to get to come together as students that felt like we couldn't do anything to help but we were offered the opportunity to heal others by doing what we love. It was so powerful and something I will forever be thankful to be a part of!"

Orlando has supported those in need and the theatre community has helped immensely. As James Cordon said at the beginning of the Tony awards, "Theater is a place where every race, creed, sexuality and gender is equal, is embraced and is loved. Hate will never win." I'm so proud to be part of a community, county, and high school where love wins and we support everyone no matter what. We make a difference, with each individual, beautiful, voice singing the same song.

Link to the video of the tribute, videography services donated by Diacom Production.