On April 13, 2022, the musical department went on a field trip to Chicago to see the musical Moulin Rouge. That consisted of a 4-hour bus ride. To pass the time, one of our directors, Mr. Nevers, played some movies we could watch. On the way there we saw The Emperor’s New Groove and The Three Amigos.

We went to Gino’s for lunch when we got to Chicago. It was a really neat restaurant with a unique Chicago vibe! You could write stuff on the walls, but, alas, none of us had any markers. They served delicious deep-dish pizza that was definitely worth a 4-hour bus ride.

After Gino’s we walked around Chicago, causing general chaos wherever we went. Mr. Nevers took a few of us to The Bean. Looking at it from underneath is super trippy because you can’t really perceive where the reflection ends and the actual Bean begins. Also when I was at The Bean I saw a seagull so naturally, I went over to take some pictures of it. That bird is definitely going to be internet-famous (with my help). I shall name it Kendrick.

Then we walked to the Nederlander Theatre, where Moulin Rouge was performed. The set was impressive in every way. Everything was covered in reddish light, to set the theme of the musical. Now you may ask, what exactly is Moulin Rouge about? And to that I say, Moulin Rouge is a very complex story with romance, ambition, and some mild adultery. And they sing very recognizable tunes like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and “Firework” by Katy Perry. I think my favorite part was when they would start singing one of those songs because eventually, the audience would recognize it and then start laughing. Once we even got rick-rolled. Now I can cross “Get rick-rolled during a broadway musical” off my bucket list.

Finally, after the show, we began to head back to Mineral Point. We stopped at the Belvedere Oasis for supper. If you’ve never been to one, an oasis is like a little plaza over the highway or a fertile spot for water in the middle of a desert. You can sit by the windows and watch the cars drive under it, which is really neat. Now I was really craving a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, but they were closed. Not to be deterred from my dream of bread, I walked over to the Panera to get a bagel. But just my luck, they were out of bagels. So I settled for some McNuggets from good ol’ McDonald’s. This sparks the question, is this truly an oasis if you can’t get what you need?

We arrived back at Mineral Point at around 10 pm, and then I went home and immediately fell asleep. I’d call that day a success!