PHS’s Spectacle Theatre brought a classic comedy to life this year with “Groundhog Day: The Musical” from March 13–15 in the Performing Arts Center. Based on the 1993 film of the same name, the musical follows Phil Connors, a weatherman who finds himself reliving Groundhog Day over and over again in the small town of Punxsutawney. Directed by drama teacher Julianna Krawiecki, the show highlighted the talents of the students involved through acting, music, dancing, and stage management.

“Last year, after we did “Beauty and the Beast,” I sat down and thought about what is a great contrast to this musical ... how do we make sure we give them a very different experience but do something that’s new and challenging and exciting, and “Groundhog Day” [is] very different from anything we’ve done,” said Krawiecki.

Bringing “Groundhog Day” to the stage required months of dedication from the cast, orchestra, and crew. With its fast-paced musical numbers, and intricate technical elements, the show posed unique challenges for everyone involved. From vocal rehearsals with PHS Choir Director
Vincent Metallo to going through scenes under the direction of Krawiecki, students in the cast and PHS Orchestra gave their all to perfect their performances while the tech crew spent hours building the set.

“Basically, as soon as the fall play was over ... we started
building the [set for the] musical because we knew that
it was going to be a huge undertaking. We’ve never done
a turntable before, so there was a lot that we wanted to
get figured out early. So we’ve been working on this [for]
eight to 10, 12, [or]14 weeks at this point,” said Jeffrey Van
Velsor, Set Designer and Technical Director for the show.

Being a member of the musical required dedication and
time management skills, as students spent a lot of time
after school rehearsing.

“The most challenging part [for me was] the amount of
time it [took]. Rehearsals [started] at 5:30 p.m. but they
often [went] past 8 p.m., and while it [was] a lot of fun, it
[could] be really time-consuming,” said cast member Ivy
Cordle ’27.

Music was a key element of the musical, with the orchestra
playing a central role. The PHS Orchestra rehearsed alongside the cast members, ensuring a seamless integration
of live music and performance that brought energy and
excitement to the show.

“Groundhog Day is a contemporary show. The genre
of the music is very upbeat pop [and] rock pop, so it’s [a]
very unique style, and that contemporary musical, more
modern musical, [brought] new challenges,” said Metallo.

PHS Orchestra, which provided a live soundtrack for the
show, faced the challenge of coordinating with the action
on stage as they were playing.

“There’s a lot of effort required ... to keep track of the
actors’ movements and lines. It’s hard to focus on just the
music when there are so many other things to consider,”
said Emily Leng ’27, a flautist in PHS Orchestra.

With months of hard work behind them, the cast, crew,
and orchestra delivered a performance that captivated
audiences over the three-night run. From the high-energy
musical numbers to the emotional character moments,
Groundhog Day was a testament to the dedication and
talent of PHS’s theater community.

Photo: Katherine Chen

Maxime DeVico ’27, Julia Scibienski ’27, Noa Zacks ’25, Sebastian Bongiovi ’25, Milania Kapoor ’27, Elena Barreto ’27, Judy Pwee ’27, Sanya Bhatt ’28, Sophie Mueller ’28, Daniel Spitkovsky ’27, Tara Venkatesh ’28, Sylven Waldman ’25, Ash Nieman ’26, and Anna Kaufman ’26 perform the number “Day One — Punxsutawney Phil” in “Groundhog Day.”

Cast, crew, and orchestra shine in “Groundhog Day” musical

As Nike stocks plummet, the long-time global leader in athletic footwear seems to not be taking its own advice when it comes to “just doing it.” Since its founding in 1962, Nike’s popularity has been propelled by marketing campaigns and sponsorships of athletes who would later attain worldwide fame. The brand’s shoes are not only a staple on tracks, courts, and fields, but also an emblem of style and popular culture. While they will remain in every sneakerhead’s collection for years, the brand’s popularity, particularly its appeal to athletes, has noticeably decreased with an upsurge in more sport-specific shoes.

Many brands market their products for a specific sport, while Nike’s shoes are solely advertised as everyday sneakers or basketball shoes. For example, many runners have switched to On Clouds or HOKAs, volleyball players have switched to Avoli, and non-athletes have switched to more comfortable or “better-looking” shoes, such as Vans, Uggs, Converse, or Adidas.

“For volleyball, you need a lot of ankle support and [Avoli has] good insoles for jumping, and they look cool as well,” said girls volleyball Captain Pearl Agel ’25, who is one of many players who transferred to Avoli.

A budding new company created only last year, specifically catered to the needs of female volleyball players, Avoli shoes are made to support and cushion a player’s feet after powerful and repetitive jumps. Nike shoes, on the other hand, aren’t made with that in mind. In fact, basketball athletes jump four times less than volleyball players do, making basketball shoes — Nike’s forte — less viable in a competitive field.

Another competitor taking sales away from Nike is HOKA. HOKA One One, known simply as HOKA, is an athletic company geared towards runners. Their shoes have a lot of cushioning, making propulsion easier and bracing the foot’s impact when it hits the ground. Their high breathability is another reason so many athletes have made the switch to HOKA.

“I wear [HOKA shoes] because they work better for me as training shoes,” said cross country runner Mila Trkov ’27.

A problem that Nike seems to fall into is that their new models seem too similar to older models, or are just plain recolors. Seeing that aesthetics is a primary reason why people wear the shoes they do, Nike has become less desirable in the long run.

“I personally think [Converse shoes] are comfortable and look cooler,” said Eve Kavookjian ’27.

Although many people have switched from Nike to other brands that are more preferable to them, it is nowhere near gone or unpopular. Their shoes are still flooding the hallways of many schools, and customers of all ages are sure to be sporting the distinctive swoosh for years to come.

Maxime Devico's Work