On Friday and Saturday, “Respira on Broadway” took the stage at the Coppell High School Auditorium. The show marked Respira Treble Show Choir’s return to live performance on stage. 

Since August, Respira members practiced for hours waiting for the show returning in person and developed a bond unable to achieve virtually.

“We got more bonding time because [when we were] virtual we didn’t really know each other,“ junior Respira co-captain Mihira Kada said. “[We only had] three in-person rehearsals, [but now] we’re a big family.”

To celebrate returning to the CHS campus, head choir director Bona Coogle, assistant choir director Aaron Coranado and choreographer Ashley Kimbrough planned the show to excite the audience for the return of Respira to the stage for the first time since fall 2019. They also wanted to tie Broadway tunes to the show, forming this year’s theme of Broadway. 

“We wanted to choose some pieces that are uplifting and fast-paced,” Coogle said. “Usually we have a specific theme and [match] songs [based on the] theme.”

The members were given a chance to step into musical theater from the show.

“[The show] let us show our musical theater side and [practice facial expressions],” Kada said.

The show featured seven pieces from Broadway musicals and movies included in two acts and in between had an intermission with desserts. Each song was chosen carefully, encompassing each a different meaning revolving around the idea of new hope and opportunities with starting over.

“‘Live in Living Color’ [from ‘Catch Me If You Can’] was [the show’s] opening because if you listen to the lyrics it talks about starting life,” Coogle said. “‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ [from ‘The Wizard of Oz’] was giving hope.”

The Broadway show gave multiple opportunities for singers from various soloist openings throughout the show. CHS sophomore Divya Ghanta  performed solos  “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” both from “Wicked.” 

“I recently saw ‘Wicked’ on Broadway and I loved the show, “ Ghanta said. “It means a lot to me to have a solo in this show because I love doing this show with [Respira] and it was [an] exciting [experience].”

Respira welcomed students, family, staff and the Coppell community to the event. 

“I liked seeing some soloists that I had seen before doing some challenging pieces,” Coppell Middle School West choir director Allison Hartzell said.

The show marked the startings of the new school year, returning back to daily school life.

“Knowing the fact that we are able to give them a live-person performance opportunity is what means most to us,” Coogle said. “Everything we worked on, every song, every choreography means its certain way.”  

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