LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – With powerful vocals, dazzling costumes and distinctive choreography, the Los Alamitos High School show choir program kicked off the 2025-2026 season with “The Start of Something Big” as the first concert of the year. With shows taking place throughout the weekend from Thursday, Oct. 2, to Saturday, Oct. 4, choir students stunned audiences with raw talent and outstanding performances.
With the entire concert centered around Broadway songs and musicals, show-goers got to witness performances of beloved productions such as “Mamma Mia!,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Hamilton,” “West Side Story” and more. In Act I, the mix of songs and sets conveyed positive messages of hope, love and dreaming big; Act II shifted the scene to add in themes of identity, revolution and courage.
“I think it was an amazing show. (Both) Act I and Act II were equally fantastic,” said a choir student’s parent.
“The Start of Something Big” featured a variety of performance styles, from solos to large groups and everything in between, showcasing the array of talent in the choir program. Audiences were captivated by the beauty of individual voices in songs such as “If I Loved You” by Ashlynne Mulligan and “Grow for Me” by Devan Medina. Duets, like “Flight” by Jenna Currey and Emily Gail and “Stay Gold” by Cody and Noah McKenzie, brought intricate harmonies.
Finally, bold group performances like “Candela” by the Xpressions and SoundFX choirs and “Walking in Space” by the Connexion choir highlighted the power of performing as a team. This year’s Broadway show also featured an a cappella song – “First Burn” sung by Maddie Diggle, Emily Gail, Sam Gonzalez, Sofia Guetterman and Jasmine Yune – showing that even performances without instrumentals can still be impactful.
This year’s Broadway show challenged what a typical choir show looks like, especially in Act II. In some songs, such as “Breathe” performed by Sam Gonzalez, student singers were accompanied by guest guitar player Thomas Dohner, highlighting not only the vocals but also the instrumentals that make up a choir concert. What’s more is that, in the song “Candela” by the Xpressions and SoundFX choirs, students jumped off the stage and made their way up the aisles to invite audience members to dance with them during the lively performance.
“I think (the choir students) did really well. They had the whole audience moved and into (the show), and not only (by) carrying out (the show) but also getting the audience involved,” said LAHS junior Adrian Lopez.
To conclude the show, the SoundFX choir, followed by all the choirs, put on a memorable compilation of songs from “Hamilton,” including the beloved pieces “The Schuyler Sisters,” “My Shot”, “The Story of Tonight” and more. This was by far one of the most anticipated performances of the show, and SoundFX did not disappoint. From the on-point casting of characters to the creative choreography, the show had a unique high-school take on the renowned Broadway musical. Still, it enchanted audiences as if it were the real thing.
“I really loved ‘Hamilton’. It was just done so well, and I really enjoyed that. I think it’s fun when you know the music too,” said LAHS American Sign Language teacher Mrs. Bennett.
After months of hard work learning, choreographing, rehearsing, and finally performing, the LAHS choir program has put on an awe-inspiring Broadway show that will set the stage for the rest of the year’s productions. With “The Start of Something Big”, the choir students are sure to have more extraordinary performances up their sleeves for the future.
