On Thursday, January 10, Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s show choir, “Amped Up,” will debut its show to the community at 6 p.m in the high school auditorium. What’s show choir, you ask? Well, it’s group of people singing and dancing to songs that link together to tell a story. Think Glee.

But this story means a lot more than just sparkly costumes and bright lights. Darin Hamou, a junior at LOLHS, fled her home in Syria with her family two years ago and came to Old Lyme. It was then that she joined chorus and met Mrs. Kristine Pekar, the choral director at the high school.

“I love her so much,” says Darin. “She is a second mom to me.” Mrs. Pekar, affectionately known as “KP” by her students, constantly works to provide the best possible experience for every child she teaches. She constantly searches for new ways to share her love of music and inspire herself and others; her passion for performing and her desire to continue experimenting with new ideas led to the creation of Amped Up in 2017.

This year’s show, titled “Rise,” follows Darin’s journey to the United States, featuring songs like I Gotta Feelin’ by the Black Eyed Peas, Rise by Katy Perry, and Come Alive from The Greatest Showman with choreography by Ashley Racicot.

“We hear about wars in far-flung parts of the world and the refugees spawned by conflict, but then we go about our usual lives and routines without really processing what it means on a human level,” says Mrs. Pekar. “I think the show opened up a dialogue with Darin and the students here at LOLHS. They now have a personal connection to Darin, and they have heard first-hand of the hardships she and her family faced: they now understand that this is a reality for many people in the world.”

The students have had the opportunity to learn traditional Kurdish dancing and a few words of Arabic with Darin, an experience unlike any other. Not only do they learn about the work required to put on a performance, but they are also understanding different cultures.

Telling such a meaningful story has helped the students feel connected to the songs they are performing. “I am honored to be representing the Hamous,” says Philip Sweeney, the soloist who portrays Darin’s father in the show. “I hope this story can inspire people to help those who are struggling and provide light to this important issue.”

Other soloists include senior Hannah Morrison, who portrays the mother, and junior Emma Bass, who represents Darin. “It feels really special to know that we are representing the Hamous,” says Bass. “I think it’s making us work harder to try to make them proud of the way that we are portraying their story.”

“Telling this story through show choir is powerful because the audience not only sees the family and their journey through life, but they also experience that journey through music and dance,” adds Morrison. “The tones of the songs are very purposeful in that they serve to draw the audience into the story and make them feel as though they are a part of the story, rather than solely the viewers of it.”

And Amped Up wants the whole community to be a part of this story; the performance on January 10 at 6 p.m. at Lyme-Old Lyme High School will include dinner while students perform solo numbers, followed by the debut of the show. All proceeds will help the show choir to offset the costs of costumes, risers, equipment, and all other expenses.

“By presenting the story with music, we can connect more to the emotions of these terrible experiences and realize that this is happening to people just like us,” says Mrs. Pekar. “I hope people come to the gala to have a great dinner and see a meaningful, exciting show!”

Tickets can be purchased at https://lolhschoirs.ticketleap.com/amped-up/.