2024 Music for the Missions will go down in history books as one of the best Music for the Missions performances ever. There were so many show-stopping numbers, from singing to dancing to impeccable acting; the performances were outstanding.The comedic roles of the hosts brought a fun audience interaction to the show. This year, the hosts for the evening were Senior Molly Combs and Senior Anna Reese. They brought a fun spin to the show, and the students of St. Joe agreed. St. Joe sophomore Caroline Mcquaide attended the show and talked about how much she enjoyed the hosts’ personalities.
“The hosts’ charismatic energy brought joy and laughter to the whole audience. I loved them!” Caroline said.
The performances were breathtaking. At the start of the night, Junior Rylie Harris and Senior Emily Morrow danced to the song “Upgrade U” by Beyonce. The dance was astounding and was very technical. The show then moved into “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” from the musical Book of Mormon. Sophomores Leila Phoenix and Amelia Trost sang a duet to this song, which was hilarious and beautifully done. After that performance, Juniors Taylor Gilbert and Molly Sallaberry took the stage to sing and tap dance to the song “Anything Goes” from the musical Anything Goes. They shocked the audience with their spectacular tap-dancing skills while singing. Next, was Junior Izzy Stadnyk performing a solo to “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, which was an absolute blast. The number was so entertaining and it blew everyone in the audience away.
The audience then viewed an outstanding performance from Sophomores Madelyn Emge and Amelia Trost, who sang a duet to “What is This Feeling” from the musical Wicked. They were a great duo and left their mark on the stage. Following that was a duet to “Sisters” from the show White Christmas, sung by Junior Taylor Gilbert and Senior Kathryn Portman. The two girls even looked alike on stage. Following such a noteworthy performance, Junior Molly Sallaberry sang a solo to “Taylor the Latte Boy” by Kristen Chenoweth. Then the show moved into a duet to the song “She Used to Mine” from the musical Waitress, which was expertly sung by Sophomores Lindsay Strickland and Jenna Waters. The two girls truly brought tears to the audience.
“Music for the Missions was an amazing opportunity to do what I love for an amazing cause,” Jenna said.
“It was cool to see the St. Joe community come together to share their talents for the missions,” Lindsay said.
There were still many performances to go, including Junior Taylor Gilbert singing a solo to “Vanilla Ice Cream” from the musical She Loves Me. After that was a marvelous solo to “Little Girls” from the musical Annie, sung by Senior Kathryn Portman. She was excellent and funny, blowing away everyone in the audience. After that was another performance from the amazing seniors: “Someone Like You” by Adele performed by Seniors Gabby Wyatt and Nora Weishaar. Gabby played the piano while Nora sang; they were wonderful and did a great job for their last Music for the Missions. Next, Sophomore Leila Phoenix and Sophomore Madelyn Emge sang a duet to “Hard to Be the Bard” from the musical Something Rotten, and they were hilarious. Then, to end the night, Senior Kathryn Portman, Junior Izzy Stadynk, and Sophomore Amelia Trost sang a trio to “Super Trooper” from the musical Mamma Mia. They ended the show with a bang!
2024 Mission Week as a whole was a huge success. Seeing the students on stage giving their all for the missions was truly heartwarming. It demonstrated how SJA is making a difference in the world! They will continue to do so for many more years, and all of the students coming together for a united cause is outstanding to see.