After their instructor received a special award, the students of Parkland celebrated at the Tony by singing the classic song from ’Rent.’
The Tony Awards delivered a stirring moment on Sunday when the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s drama department took the stage to honor instructor Melody Herzfeld. The drama instructor led the drama department at Stoneman Douglas in over 50 productions since 2003 according to The New York Times, but gained nationwide notoriety for her actions on February 14th, 2018. Herzfeld barricaded 65 students into a small closet during the massacre at the high school.
Herzfeld made a point to mention her students and the push to make a difference following the tragedy in Parkland, Florida during her acceptance speech at the Creative Arts Awards portion of the 2018 Tony’s before the main telecast:
And while it was a powerful speech, the moment would be overshadowed by the students themselves during the main telecast on Sunday night. The drama students took the stage to perform “Seasons of Love” from Rent:
