Freshman Andrew Stoker, dressed in a white and red striped vest, white pants, and blue bow tie, steps up to the microphone. A crowd of senior citizens stares up at him, eagerly waiting for his performance to begin. He speaks into the microphone, introducing himself as “Bert” from the Disney movie “Mary Poppins” and breaks out into the song “Chim-Chim Cher-ee”.

“My entire week, and my entire life, would not be the same without this group,” Stoker said. “We’re just a huge happy family. The others are my brothers and sisters and Patt is like our mom.”

Smiles spread through the crowd like wild fire. Backstage, other high school students are dressed as other Disney characters, awaiting their turn to dazzle the crowd. They are all part of the Connection- a group of performers ranging from ages 14 to 22 who enjoy singing, dancing, and performing.

“Our purpose is just to make people smile,” Stoker said. “It just makes their whole day or week or even year. It puts a smile on our faces too.”

The Connection offers two exciting exciting entertainment options: “A Tribute to Disney” (a collection of Disney favorites) and “The Beat Goes On” (a collection of favorites from the 60s to the 90s). Their performances are scattered throughout the year, with more performances in the summer and winter than the fall and spring.

“I think people should join because it’s a really really fun experience,” member and junior Kelsey McIlroy said. “And it helps you in every sense of performing as well as coming out of your shell and meeting new people.”