Broadneck Schools Kick Off Summer With Annual Night At The Movies

Broadneck schools celebrated the end of the academic year with the fourth annual Night at the Movies orchestral performance on June 6. Students from elementary through high school joined recently graduated alumni to play popular movie themes for hundreds of spectators at Broadneck High School’s (BHS) stadium.

“It’s a huge event,” said BHS music department chair Matthew Heist. “The whole community comes out to support it.”

The orchestra performed annual event favorites from “The Lion King,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Incredibles” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” and new pieces from “Mission: Impossible” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The concert also featured a new choir piece in which elementary students sang with high schoolers in a pre-concert Disney medley.

Heist noted he loves watching the students from different grades support each other every year. “Getting to see the sixth-graders who are just starting out and recent graduates and alumni all coming together for music - it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Heist started the Night at the Movies tradition in 2022 after a trial run during COVID-19 in 2021. That year, the school band performed fun tunes while masked and socially distanced. Despite the circumstances, the event was a hit with the students. This inspired Heist to add a movie screening element to future performances.

Recent BHS graduate Addison Thornton has performed in all five Night at the Movies events. She remembers the 2021 one as a night of “chaos.” Over the past five years, Thornton watched the program grow from a small, masked recital to a full orchestra and band performance.

“We just keep seeing more and more people show up everywhere,” she said. “It’s really awesome.” Thornton plans to return next year to play with the band as a college student.

The early June concert lasted about 45 minutes, leaving plenty of time for socializing before and after the performance. Students received dinner provided by the school, and food trucks lined the parking lot.