Unified Performance Moves Audiences During “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival XXXVI”

Contrary to the lyrics included in their performance of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Severna Park High School students did not cause any heartbreak during “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival” in March. They provided a few heartwarming moments that brought auditoriums of people to their feet.

For the first time, special education students from the school’s Alternate Curriculum Classes (ACC) program got onstage during the annual show. Donning a variety of colored shirts and floral headbands, the students were paired with their peers outside ACC for a rendition of the song by Elton John and Kiki Dee.

They danced, they flashed peace signs, and they showcased a “disco finger” reminiscent of John Travolta’s in “Saturday Night Fever.”

When their last performance ended on March 22, the crowd responded with a roar and a standing ovation.

“It was really beautiful to see the community stand up,” said ACC teacher Noelle Cruder. “Some people don’t necessarily have a kid in the show, and they showed their support. It was waterworks everywhere.”

During the planning phase, performing arts students suggested that ACC should be part of this year’s event. Meetings followed, and Cruder recruited a nurse to attend shows and assist. Student Maddie Masone pitched the idea for the musical number, and she became particularly helpful with logistics and choreography.

“I have always watched or participated in ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll,’ and as someone with a younger brother with special needs, I always wondered why the ACC students were never included,” she said.

According to “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival” producer Karah Parks, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” was intended to be part of the show originally, but it got cut because the drama program did not have the right inspiration or grouping.

“When ACC was brought into the show, it was the perfect song with so many different directions it could go in based on the students’ abilities,” Parks said.

Presented with the option to participate in “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival,” ACC students did not miss a beat.

“If you ask these kids what they want to do, they only know what they have experienced,” Cruder said. “So, this provides a new opportunity.”

The kids practiced the routine in class with their “best buddies,” and Cruder tied the experience into the curriculum. The result? “The students all showed off their personalities and took on a light of their own,” Cruder said.

Fourteen students participated in the musical number. The non-ACC students volunteered because they wanted to support their ACC peers and be part of this new chapter of “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival.”

“Every staff and cast member welcomed everyone with open arms and turned this into a magical experience for them,” Masone said. “Seeing their smiling faces being able to enjoy being onstage and performing as much as I do was amazing. Getting to experience the arts in such a unique community is such a special experience that they have gained. I am beyond grateful that I could be the stepping stone that is helping to create a lasting tradition full of inclusion and joy!”

Masone and other students have reached out and “bridged a friendship” with the ACC kids, Cruder said.

“People don’t know how wonderful and embraced these students are in this population,” Cruder said of the ACC youth. “Our student population seeks that friendship out. They know how to unify our community and they’re doing it.”