Arts
-
Vivid & Varied Vocals
Our vocal music courses wrapped up the trimester (or the year!) at the spring showcase on May 22. Divided into two acts, the packed evening began with Diving In 6 (the 6th grade's performing arts survey course) and the 7th & 8th Chorus; the second act featured the spring HS Chorus and Singing in the Spotlight, performing ensemble and solo work. Musicians from Advanced Band provided live accompaniment.Read More -
Life is the Bubbles!
Congratulations to the cast and crew of the middle school's The Little Mermaid Jr. on a heart-warming, uplifting performance weekend. With 27 actors and 10 crew members, plus production support from the high school, our final show of the year was a community-wide (under the sea) experience. Special shout-out to the 8th graders taking their final bows as middle schoolers and we look forward to your future performances.Read More -
Announcing: 2025-26 Theater Season
Read MoreFall Repertory: Flashpoints for Activism | Grades 9-12November 7-8 and 14-15Dear Harvey
By Patricia LoughreyMusic by Thomas Hodges -
On Stage Around Town
Our Intermediate 9/10 and Advanced 11/12 Bands will perform at Pearl Street Warehouse at The Wharf DC on Monday May 5 at 6 PM. This debut continues more than 20 years of Burke bands performing in the community at local clubs, which have included Blues Alley and The Carlyle Room.Read More -
Cast Announcement: The Little Mermaid
This spring's middle school musical, Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., will be a true community endeavor, with nearly half of 6th-8th graders taking the stage. Mark your calendars for May 16-17 and prepare to venture under the sea.Read More -
Class Spotlight - MS & HS Arts
Off The Wall ArtRead MoreStudents in Kay C.'s Advanced Digital Media 11/12 course added an interactive element to the 2nd floor Commons this month. Passersby can use their Burke iPads to scan the QR code under each image to trigger an augmented reality (AR) experience, which lets us "see the real-life environment right in front of us with a digital augmentation overlaid on it."Pictured: image triggers by Maria R. '26 and Willem O. L. '26. -
Our Favorite Things ...
.. definitely include musical theater and spectacular ensembles. The Sound of Music opened on Friday, March 7, and sold out its two-weekend run.Read More -
Step Into the Spotlight
Read MoreTo conclude the fall trimester for the performing arts, Singing in the Spotlight performed a wide array of solo and ensemble vocal pieces, featuring Maya D. '26, Claire J. '28, Ekkoh K. '26, Paige M. '26, Izzy M. '28, Ollie P. '28, Lana P. '26, Gigi R. '28, Taylor S. '26, Shaan T. '28, and Natalie W. '28, with guest Asher Z. '26 (guitar). -
Now Playing: The Crucible Repertory - November 7-16
The Performing Arts Department will conjure up the Salem witch trials with two plays inspired by Arthur Miller's The Crucible (1953): John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower on November 7-9 and Abigail / 1702: A Twice-told Tale by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa on November 14-16.Read More -
Ready to Rock
In the final week of May, 62 student musicians from five Burke bands performed 21 pieces from myriad musical genres – including songs by Dizzy Gillespie, Etta James, the Beatles, Joan Jett, and Bruno Mars.Read More
Speaking of numbers, six musicians performed on three or more instruments, including a modular synthesizer! -
Sounds of Spring
Our vocal music classes concluded their performance season on May 23, singing for a capacity crowd in the theater. Opening with the 7th/8th Combined Chorus, the concert also featured High School Chorus, Taylor S. '26 (representing the new Songwriting class), and the debut of "Diving In," the 6th grade performing arts survey class.Read More -
The Sun Comes Out On Stage
On May 16-18, the Middle School performed an uplifting, sold-out run of Annie Jr., the Broadway staple about a resourceful young orphan (Leona K. '28) and a guarded, but benevolent billionaire (Jessica B. '29) amid the Great Depression in New York City.Read More -
Tunes Around Town
In early May, the intermediate and advanced Burke Bands headed down to the Carlyle Room on I Street NW, where they performed to a substantial crowd of family, friends, and music enthusiasts. Enjoy clips from the performance here:Read More -
"Annie:" Cast & Crew Announcement
This coming spring, the Middle School will mount Annie Jr., featuring a high-energy, captivating cast of 30 performers. Set in New York City amid the Great Depression, this Broadway standard follows the optimistic Annie (Leona K. '28) as she escapes swindling from the spiteful Miss Hannigan (Izzy M. '28) and con artists Rooster (Robert D. '28) and Lily (Natalie W. '28), and discovers an opulent new world with Olivia Warbucks (Jessica B. '29) and Grace Farrell (Jayla Z. '28).Read More -
"You were fetch ... so fetch!"
Read MoreShowcasing the musical, artistic, and production talents of 60 students in 8th-12th grade, Mean Girls: The Musical opened on the final day of February and played to sold-out houses through March 9. Download the program here. -
Student Spotlight: Carrie J. '24
Congratulations and cheers to Carrie J. '24, who has been named to the 2024 Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF) cohort.Read More -
Alum Spotlight: Max S. '20
Max Streitwieser '20 recently visited Advanced Band to discuss his experiences in the NYU music business program, where he is now a senior. He also shared his own music, which he composes and performs under the artist name Nicknames. His music can be found on all streaming platforms.Read More -
"Mean Girls:" Cast & Crew Announcement
Our Performing Arts department is excited to announce that 67 students in grades 8-12 will come together to perform and produce Mean Girls: The Musical this winter. Rehearsals are now underway, so the dates: March 1-2 and 8-9. It shall be fetch.Read More
For the uninitiated, Mean Girls is based on the iconic, and absurdly quotable, 2004 comedy of the same name. After years of homeschooling with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Sienna M. '24) starts 11th grade in Illinois, where she swiftly befriends Janis and Damian (Stella T. '24 and Charlie W. '25) and crushes on Aaron Samuels (Ian M. R. '24). But before long, she falls in with The Plastics: Karen (Lana P. '26), Gretchen (Cary T. T. '25), and the queen bee Regina (Carrie J. '24). -
Fall Choral Concert
On the final Wednesday of the 1st trimester, friends and family packed the Samara Studio Theater for the year's first concert.Read More
The 7th & 8th Grade Chorus and the Fall High School Chorus, accompanied by students and faculty from Advanced Instrumental Music, treated the crowd to six songs, including "Hello" by Adele and "XO" by Beyoncé (with a guest senior soloist).
Interspersed were performances from Singing in the Spotlight, a vocal music class for soloists, which included classic rock, contemporary hits, and musical theater songs. The concert concluded with a combined performance of "New Soul" by Yael Naim, featuring all three classes.
List of 7 events.
-
Student One Act Plays (SOAP)
Location: Hobbes - Theater - 263/Thtr
Co-ed, progressive, college prep school in Washington, DC featuring a challenging curriculum in an inclusive environment for grades 6-12.
4101 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20008 | Phone: 202-362-8882 | Fax: 202-362-1914