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Tokyo Day 2

We have a free morning before our last big concert with Waseda and Keio universities. 

A group exploring Senso-ji Temple in Old Tokyo!

(Hope Brindle; Ryan Young; Sav Grinspun; Logan Flake; Hannah Chan)

Call for the Waseda concert is around lunchtime, so most head there after breakfast or morning activities. 

The concert at Waseda is our longest, and clubbers are very excited for the last concert as tour comes to a close. 

Resting between stages of the set!

(Hope Brindle; Kwaku Owusu; Topher Paolucci)

A couple poor wayfaring strangers after singing their last solos together...

(Jadel Contreras; Ryan Young)

An emotional rendition of For Good sung by the seniors for the last time. 

Three choirs singing together!

The concert is wonderful, and both Waseda and Keio choirs perform beautifully!

After the concert, we have the option of attending a small reception with members of both choirs. 

(Evan McClelland; Logan Flake; Shaanan Cohney)

As expected, the reception turns into a few more hours of singing, as choirs exchange favorite songs. 

After the reception, clubbers hit the town for the last real night of tour. 

In a wonderful coincidence, we run into a member of the Cornell Glee Club, who was at our joint concert last year!

After a long and tiring day, we all look forward to the next day, which is sadly the last day of tour. 

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Tokyo Day 1

A big day for the club, we head to the Nissan Global Headquarters in the morning. We have three sets consisting of various selection from singers, the band, and pipers, with an hour or so between each set. 

Rehearsing Walk Him Up!

During the band section of first set, the singers and Dan hide behind a tiny wall (no one’s sure why).

(Eli Eisenstein; Kwaku Owusu; Ryan Young; Brian Luo; Evan McClelland)

(Dixon O’Banion; Ryan Hood)

Playing around between sets!

(Kevin Zhao)

(Ryan Young; Sav Grinspun; Hope Brindle)

Making a toy car out of paper!

(Tomoki Tashiro; Mikey Jonathan)

After the concert, most split up and head to dinner and rest after the long day!

Exploring Harajuku at night!

Famous foot-long french fries from J Box Long Potato!

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Welcome to Tokyo!

The airport is a bit of an adventure, as the 20 kg luggage weight limit forces some clubbers to wear more layers than usual on the plane...

(Nate Redding)

Once we finally get on the plane, it’s nearly 1 in the morning, so everyone tries to get as much sleep as possible. 

(Freddy Chang)

We get into Tokyo around 6 am, and rest until call for our concert with the International Christian University at noon. 

We have a wonderful concert at the ICU, and our collab pieces sound amazing!

The seniors and Dan in their ties and tails!

While many clubbers are too tired after the concert to do much more than sleep, some explore the food scene in Shinjuku. 

A big group packs into a tiny restaurant!!

That’s it for the first night in Tokyo, but tomorrow has more to bring!

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Last Day in Taipei

Today is a completely free day in Taipei, meaning everyone splits off to do their own thing. Most people try to get out of the city, heading to hot springs or the beach.  

Some clubbers at the spa!

(Ryo Ohashi; Henry Hoffman; Mikey Jonathan; Freddy Chang; Ryan Hood; Kevin Zhao)

A group goes to the National Palace Museum, housing the largest collection of Chinese art in the world with nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks. We are graciously given a private tour by Penn alum Jerri, who has been volunteering at the museum for 15 years!

(Ben Banker; Hope Brindle; Sav Grinspun; Topher Paolucci)

A small group rents mopeds and drives them to the beach, meeting a large group of clubbers who went straight there. 

(Will Drobnick; Tomoki Tashiro; Jimmy Paolini; Evan McClelland)

(Hannah Chan; Marjon Enriquez)

(Evan McClelland; Sav Grinspun)

(Hope Brindle)

(Toni Rinaldi)

After the busy day, people are relaxed but tired as we head to the airport for the late-night flight to Tokyo.

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Taipei Day 2

An early breakfast before call!

(Jake Milner; Ryan Young; Ben Banker; Hope Brindle; Evan McClelland)

While singers head to rehearsal, some techies and band members take a little while to explore a Taiwanese park and  the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. 

(Dylan Levine; Nick Hunsicker; Susanna Jaramillo; Sav Grinspun; Manya Johnston-Ramirez)

(Susanna Jaramillo; Manya Johnston-Ramirez)

Some boys take a quick nap before performing with the NCKU Alumni Choir at Taipei Grace Baptist Church. 

(Ryan Hood; ???)

(Mikey Jonathan; Ryan Young)

Time for the concert! The NCKU Alumni Choir and the Church choir perform beautiful sets, with the Glee Club’s set and a collab number sandwiched between the two. 

After the concert, many clubbers head to the night market to explore interesting and exciting foods! 

Foods tried include egg/bubble waffles, spicy fried chicken, and smelly tofu. 

We have a late night, but everyone is looking forward to the full free day in Taipei tomorrow!

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Taipei Day 1

After the flight from Macau, people split off into groups to exchange money and get dinner before our night exploring Taipei.

(Ryan Young; Freddy Chang; Christian Pohlmann; Sam Orlin; Jimmy Paolini; Marjon Enriquez; Kevin Zhao; Jadel Contreras)

We take public transit on our way to Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2009!

(Jake Milner; Ryan Young)

Standing at 101 floors tall, the view from the 91st floor observation deck is breathtaking. Clubbers take advantage of the view and the sunset to have an impromptu photoshoot!

(Jimmy Paolini; Evan McClelland)

(Hope Brindle; Kwaku Owusu)

After Taipei 101, the group heads to a dinner graciously organized by the Penn Club of Taiwan.

What was supposed to be a “short set” at the dinner turns into a full-on concert, even including a couple Pipers numbers.

After dinner, some clubbers check out the Taiwanese nightlife while others head back to the hostel for a relaxing night.

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One Day in Macau

We take a very rainy ferry ride into Macau, a former Portuguese colony known as the “Vegas of the East” because of the small island’s thriving gambling industry.

We meet with Sandy from the University of Macau, and she she gives us a short bus tour of the most important sights in Macau. We get a group picture in front of the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

We have a few hours to explore Macau’s Historic District, where street vendors sell dried pork, egg tarts, ice cream, and cookies. The notable attractions here are temples, the ruins, food, and shopping.

(Ryo Ohashi)

(Jason Li; Matt Peters)

(Hannah Chan; Toni Rinaldi)

After a couple hours of exploring, we head back to the University of Macau for a joint concert with their choir.

After a wonderful concert and dinner, some clubbers decide to experience what Macau is famous for, and head to the casinos. The gambling age in Macau is 21, so most cannot gamble. Regardless, many take a bus to the Venetian to see if it lives up to the hype. The Venetian is the largest casino in the world, the largest single structure hotel building in Asia, and the sixth-largest building in the world by floor area.

After a long and busy day, we head back to the dorms to get some sleep before our early flight to Taipei tomorrow morning!

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Last Day in Hong Kong!

Everyone has a free morning, so clubbers split into groups and head to various breakfasts and morning activities. This morning involves egg waffles, the flamingo park, shopping at the Ladies’ Market, hiking to Victoria Peak, high tea, visits to the Hong Kong Museum of History, and swimming in the water of Shek O Beach.

(Logan Flake; Kwaku Owusu; Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Hannah Chan; Topher Paolucci)

(Jake Milner; Dixon O’Banion)

(Mikey Jonathan; Freddy Chang; Henry Hoffman; Ryo Ohashi; Christian Pohlmann; Ryan Hood)

(Kyle Wilson; Nick Hunsicker; Jason Li; Nate Redding; Matt Peters) 

All the day’s activities lead to the night’s band gig at Fringe Dairy in Central Hong Kong. The band plays an exciting 90-minute set, and many members of the Penn Club of Hong Kong are in attendance.

(Dylan Levine)

(Brian Johnson)

(Sam Orlin; Chris Stanczak; Tomoki Tashiro; Michael Jean)

Some enthusiastic clubbers get up and dance!

(Sav Grinspun; Logan Flake; Ryan Young; Dixon O’Banion)

The last stop of the night is a trip back up to the Peak to see the night skyline.

Most get to bed early tonight in preparation for heading to Macau tomorrow!

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Hong Kong Day 1

Today starts late again for most clubbers trying to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. 

Some get a dim sum breakfast with a beautiful view...

(Freddy Chang; Mikey Jonathan; Christian Pohlmann; Ryan Hood; Ryo Ohashi; Kevin Zhao; Henry Hoffman)

And the techies get group brunch! (Split over two tables.)

(Kyle Wilson; Hannah Chan; Sav Grinspun)

We then have a wonderful concert with the Diocesan Boys School! 

They love barbershop so much that they sing together during out pre-show reception, and the Pipers perform an extra song during the concert!

(Shaanan Cohney; Ben Banker)

(Dylan Levine; Jake Milner; Logan Flake; Dixon O’Banion; Evan McClelland; Ben Banker; Shaanan Cohney; Will Drobnick)

Some head to a quick ramen dinner before going on a beautiful Symphony of Lights boat cruise!!

Next stop after the cruise is a rooftop restaurant! Here are some of the nouveaus enjoying the breathtaking view. 

(Hannah Chan; Dixon O’Banion; Hope Brindle; Jadel Contreras; Nate Redding (back); Sav Grinspun; Tomoki Tashiro)

In the words of one of our hosts at the Diocesan Boys School today: “that’s a wrap!” 

See you tomorrow for a free day in Hong Kong and a band gig!

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Shanghai → Hong Kong

Today starts a little later, as many clubbers sleep in and get breakfast before a later call. Breakfast includes a fun combo of coffee, pork buns, and McDonalds. 

The first big event of the day is a reception with the Penn Club of Shanghai!

We sing, chat, and have an all around great time with Penn and other Ivy League alums.

Next stop Hong Kong! Here’s some sleepy boys on buses and planes.

(Jadel Contreras)

(Tyler Larkworthy)

We get into our Hong Kong hostel around 3:00 am, so everyone conks out after a simple but tiring day. We’re so excited for what awaits us in Hong Kong!

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Shanghai Day 3!

Another early start this morning as we take a bullet train to Suzhou! We will spend the day exploring this beautiful Chinese city! With a population of “only 11 million,” our tour guide considers it to be a small city!

A few NUMTOTs take a train selfie...

(Sam Orlin; Sav Grinspun; Kevin Zhao)

We follow our tour guide Gavin around the Humble Administrator’s Garden! He explains the garden’s history and takes us on a tour of the three sections, showing us the best picture spots! 

(Jason Li; Kyle Wilson)

(Susanna Jaramillo; Hope Brindle; Topher Paolucci (back); Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Hannah Chan; Tyler Larkworthy; Sav Grinspun)

(Chris Stanczak; Tomoki Tashiro; Will Drobnick; Jason Li; Nick Hunsicker; Marjon Enriquez)

(Jadel Contreras; Dylan Levine (back); Nick Hunsicker; Nate Redding; Jason Li; Matt Peters (front); Marjon Enriquez; Chris Stanczak) 

(Hope Brindle; Ryan Young; Evan McClelland; Dylan Levine)

(Hope Brindle; Kwaku Owusu; Dylan Levine; Hannah Chan;  Tyler Larkworthy; Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Topher Paolucci) 

The Nouveus and the whole club take group pictures! 

(Not pictured: Hope Brindle; Nate Redding)

We head to another family-style lunch after the gardens! The best way to stay cool in the Suzhou heat? Hot tea. 

Next up is a boat cruise!! It’s much cooler in the shade surrounded by the water!

After the boat cruise, we have a couple hours to freely explore Suzhou. This means dog petting, fan-buying, and tea-drinking!!

(Will Drobnick; Marjon Enriquez)

(Nate Redding; Kwaku Owusu) 

(Brian Johnson)

We then have a lovely dinner graciously hosted by Susanna’s cousin!! The food is delicious, and never-ending! Everyone leaves happy and full. 

People split off at night, with many going to the Bund to see the lights and have a mini-photoshoot.

(Ben Banker; Jake Milner)

The creation of a beautiful photo...

(Ryan Young)

Tomorrow we depart for Hong Kong as we continue our adventure!!

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Shanghai Day 2

These cities never sleep, and neither does the Glee Club! Despite the late bedtime last night, some clubbers get an early start around 8:00 this morning and head to AP Plaza, a market located underground in Metro Line 2's Science & Technology Museum station. They spend a lot of time honing their haggling skills, and make it out with some great deals. 

(Ben Banker; Hope Brindle; Ryan Young; Hannah Chan; Kwaku Owusu; Eli Eisenstein)

Another group heads to the Yuyuan Garden area - they do some shopping, some sightseeing, and some tea drinking!

(Brian Luo; Michael Jean; Liam Stanton; Sam Orlin; Freddy Chang; Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Topher Paolucci; Susanna Jaramillo)

(Kwaku Owusu; + same as above)

(Toni Rinaldi; Jake Milner; Dixon O’Banion; Sam Orlin; Jimmu Paolini; Derek Cano; Evan McClelland)

One more group decides to take on Shanghai’s bike system, biking to the museum (a major feat with a heat index of 100º) and seeing the sights along the way. 

(Nate Redding; Jason Li; Nick Hunsicker; Matt Peters; Chris Stanczak; Kyle Wilson; Will Drobnick) 

(Same as above)

Some clubbers manage to meet up for lunch in the Yuyuan markets!

(Ryan Young; Freddy Chang, Sam Orlin; Eli Eisenstein; Liam Stanton; Marjon Enriquez; Michael Jean; Hannah Chan; Sav Grinspun, Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Topher Paolucci; Kwaku Owusu) 

After lunch, it’s time to head back to the hostel for call. Shanghai is hot in any clothing, but even hotter in ties & tails! Many find the combination of the heat and jet lag to be exhausting, and more than a few people conk out in the dressing room before the show. 

(Henry Hoffman)

(Shaanan Cohney) 

(Mikey Jonathan)

The concert begins! It starts with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Women’s Choir first, then the Glee Club takes the stage, and finally the two groups share the spotlight. 

The concert is phenomenal (and includes multiple pseudo-encores), and we cannot thank the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Enough for the opportunity to sing with them. 

Everyone is “free and easy” after the concert, and most either go back to the hostel for rest or to get some food. 

Tomorrow includes a boat tour and dinner with President Susanna Jaramillo;s cousin!

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Tour Day 1

Coming to you from 3 AM Shanghai time, here’s Day 1 of the Penn Glee Club’s “Cities That Never Sleep” Tour! This tour will later take us to Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, and Tokyo, but Shanghai is our first stop. 

The morning started with a 9:30am call at Platt, where we boarded the bus that would take us to JFK. (Look at these cuties on the bus)

We arrive at JFK, make our way through security, and are now left to wait for a little while at the gate before our plane boards.

(Hope Brindle ’22; Ben Banker ’21; Evan McClelland ’21; Ryan Young ’19)

(The GCCC/Glee Club Club Club: Liam Stanton ’20; Freddy Chang ’19; Ryan Hood (not looking) ’21; Will Drobnick ’19)

In the airport, we notice an interesting coincidence… who knew “travel wear light” meant a blue shirt?

(Back: Mikey Jonathan; Ben Banker; Henry Hoffman; Chris Stanzak; Dylan Levine; Toni Rinaldi; Ryan Young; Jake Milner; Brian Johnson  Front: Sam Orlin; Jimmy Paolini; Dan Carsello, director) 

We board the plane!!! We weren’t sure that Marjon would make it, but here he is!

(Marjon Enriquez; Susanna Jaramillo)

It was a LONG flight (16 hours!!), but we finally made it to Shanghai. Some tired faces…

(Sav Grinspun ’22; Topher Paolucci ’20; Nate Redding ’20; Hannah Chan ’22) 

Upon arrival, we check into our hostel and, despite the late hour (it’s around 10:30pm), depart for some night activities. Some clubbers go to Nanjing Road while others try out the Chinese nightlife.

Nanjing Road!! (Kyle Wilson; Kwaku Owusu; Dixon O’Banion; Sav Grinspun; Ryan Young; Hope Brindle; Shaanan Cohney; Brian Johnson; Eli Eisenstein; Manya Johnston-Ramirez) 

Spending some quality time in a wonton shop…

(Evan McClelland; Ryan Young; Sav Grinspun; Kyle Wilson; Manya Johnston-Ramirez; Eli Eisenstein)

And that’s it for day 1!! Who knows what’s in store for day 2?

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A (Really) Great White North Tour

Nothing could have prepared the Clubbers for the stunning natural beauty of British Columbia. Even from the airplane, the snow-capped mountains dominated the immediate landscape and promised many incredible hiking journeys in the days to come.

As soon as we touched down in Vancouver, the Club boarded the high-speed rail toward the downtown area. Our hostel was just a few blocks from the station, and after dropping our bags and freshening up, we headed out in search of food and fun. Saturday night was bustling with energy, and the hostel was in a prime location – near Gastown and Yaletown, two up-and-coming neighborhoods jam-packed with restaurants and bars any foodie would die for.

Our first full day in Vancouver was a free day to explore the city and the North Shore Mountains. Some Clubbers decided to take a walking tour of the city, traveling around the various neighborhoods and stopping at vintage record stores, cafés, and trinket shops. Some other nature-loving Clubbers ventured out to Stanley Park to relax along the water and even see the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The more adventure-inclined Clubbers decided to head out to Grouse Mountain to do a day-long hike that offered them some of the most spectacular views of the city and the water. Regardless of their chosen activities, all the Clubbers retired to their rooms early and thoroughly exhausted – eager for their first performance day on Monday.

The Olympic Torch sculpture on the Vancouver Waterfront. 

Some Clubbers during a grueling hike of Grouse Mountain. 

A view of downtown Vancouver from Stanley Park. 

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in Chinatown in Vancouver

Ta-da! (pictured: Manya Johnston-Ramirez (C’21), Topher Paolucci (C’20) and the Lion’s Head Bridge.)

Early Monday morning, the entire Club made the approximately three-hour trip from Vancouver back across the US-Canada border and into Washington. The morning and early afternoon was free for exploration, and the Clubbers took full advantage of the many exciting things Seattle had to offer – from the famous Pike Place Market, to the Space Needle, to the Seattle Art Museum and Sculpture Park. In the evening, the Club convened in Khaki Blaze at the Seattle Center for a special performance for the Penn Club of Seattle. It was a phenomenal opportunity to see so many Penn Alumni gathered so far from our Philadelphia campus, and it was an honor for the whole Club to meet them and perform for their friends and families. But the evening didn’t end there! The Orlin Family graciously hosted the entire Glee Club for dinner after the concert – talk about a full house! That night the Club made its way back to Vancouver full of happiness and delicious trout.

Friends take in the public art at the Seattle Art Museum and Sculpture Garden. 

Fish-throwing, flower markets, and the first Starbucks. What more could we want!?

The Club performs for the Penn Club of Seattle at the Seattle Center. 

A photo with the Penn Alumni in Seattle!

The next day came with just as early a start as Monday. The Club hopped on a bus in the early morning in order to travel to the first of two gigs on Tuesday. The Mulgrave School is an International School perched on a hillside of West Vancouver overlooking the Burrard Inlet. The school, which houses Pre-K through 12thgraders, provided absolutely beautiful, state-of-the-art facilities for our Singers and Band to perform in. “Nine Hundred Miles” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” seemed to be crowd favorites, as some of the students had sung the two pieces themselves in Mulgrave’s choir.

Proof that the Glee Club isn’t as put-together as our khaki blaze might look. 

The Band performs a lively set at Mulgrave. 

After a quick break for lunch, Clubbers jumped on the Vancouver Public Transit system to travel to the suburb of Richmond for their second performance of the day. A testament to the competence of our Club’s logistical team, the second concert went off without a hitch despite 2/3 of the Club accidentally taking a bus in the wrong direction for half an hour! The few Clubbers who arrived at Matthew McNair Secondary School on the correct bus set up the venue and hosted a Question & Answer session for the high school students until the rest of the Club arrived. They audience was the most enthusiastic and energetic crowd of the entire tour – possibly due to the fact that PGC’s very own Harvey Huang (C’18) is a McNair alum. Despite being a very busy and tiring performance day, the Clubbers were happy to stop for photos with their McNair fans.

The audience awaiting the start of the start of the performance at McNair. 

The Club performing “Sound Off!” from the latest spring show - NEC & NEC. 

The Toni Rinaldi (C’20) Fan Club. 

There’s always time for more photos!

The last full day of tour brought one final performance for the Glee Club, and while it might have seemed difficult to top the rousing standing ovations we were met with at McNair, all doubts were left behind when we arrived at Ecole Pauline Johnson Primary School for the morning’s performance. The gymnasium was jam-packed with young students, with the youngest children – the kindergarteners – sitting cross-legged just a few inches in front of the Club as they performed. The students loved both the Singers and the Band – listening attentively as we sang Lewis Carroll’s text in “Jabberwocky” and dancing in their seats while the Band played “Valerie.” The Glee Club loves applause, but nothing can top high-fives from appreciative elementary schoolers.

Singers in the gymnasium at Ecole Pauline Johnson in Vancouver. 

Penn Pipers entertain the students. 

The horns jam out to “Valerie.”

With one evening remaining in Vancouver, the Club got dressed up and headed to Boathouse English Bay Restaurant for a final dinner together – a long-standing Club tradition. The Last-Night-of-Tour Dinner was phenomenal, as were the views of the sun setting on the water. The atmosphere, food, and company were all top-notch – leaving the Clubbers with a perfect ending to a spectacular tour of Canada.

Isaac Shapiro (C’18) and Will Drobnick (E’19) looking spiffy as ever for the Last-Night-of-Tour Dinner. 

The food at Boathouse English Bay left some feeling full and sleepy. 

Some very fashionable best friends. 

As Clubbers said their goodbyes the next evening in New York’s LaGuardia Airport, we were already feeling nostalgia for The Great White North Tour, but looked forward to a summer full of ground-breaking research, incredible internships, fantastic vacations, and lots of rest and relaxation. After all, we’re never truly separated from our Brothers in Song for too long.

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Goodbye to the Six.

With Toronto in the Glee Club’s rearview mirror and Vancouver fast approaching, it seems like a great time to pause and reflect on the incredible experiences we had in the Six (Thanks, Drake).

The city was a great place to explore on foot and find new restaurants, bars, and cafes. From incredible buttery naan at Om Indian Restaurant, to great noodles in Chinatown, to mouthwatering cookies at Craig’s Cookies, Clubbers definitely got their fill of fantastic food and deserts. One of the Club’s favorite finds was a quaint, family-owned Lebanese bakery just a short walk from our hostel. Mystic Muffin celebrated its 25th anniversary while the Glee Club was in Toronto, and every morning the friendly, bantering owner would recognize Clubbers, enthusiastically welcome us back, and encourage us to bring even more friends to try his $5 chocolate-banana bread loaves. 

A group in front of a “LOVE” sculpture in the Distillery District. Is this Toronto or Philadelphia!?

The Club takes over a pierogi restaurant just a few blocks from our hostel. 

Business Manager Kwaku Owusu (W’20) and Manya Johnston-Ramirez seem to enjoy their meals at a popular Korean fried chicken restaurant. 

Logan Flake (C’21) looks glum when he realizes all the delicious cookies are gone!

Some sporty Clubbers (accompanied by some not-so-sporty Clubbers) dove into the Toronto sports scene head-first. Jake Milner (W’21) organized a group trip to a major league baseball game. The Toronto Blue Jays played the Los Angeles Angels in Rogers Stadium in Downtown Toronto. In the shadow of the CN Tower, the visiting team beat the Blue Jays 8-1, much to the dismay of the locals. At least the game made for a great photo op for the Clubbers! 

Inside Rogers Stadium. 

A friendly stadium employee took a great shot of the baseball watchers. 

Some other Clubbers took advantage of the city’s natural beauty with a trip to the islands. The beaches offered a great place to relax and take in the wonderful views of Lake Ontario. Keeping with the Glee Club’s proclivity for participating in walking tours, some Clubbers signed up for a free tour of the Distillery District — a popular trendy neighborhood of the city. 

Maria Perilla (C’21) tours Steam Whistle Brewing Co.

Later, Maria and Susanna Jaramillo (E’19) shop for fresh ingredients for dinner at the St. Lawrence Market. 

The Penn Glee Club Band also had its inaugural performance in Toronto at The Cavern Bar, conveniently located in the basement of our hostel. The Band performed their set for an hour and a half during Happy Hour, with the rest of the Singers and Tech Staff in the audience along with various tourists from around the world. Our guitarist, Mack Finkel (C’18) had do depart tour early, but luckily, Dylan Levine (C’19) stepped in and the set went off without a hitch — “Come On Eileen,” “Don’t Say a Word,” “Redbone,” and other popular songs were crowd favorites. 

Will Drobnick (E’19) leads the Penn Glee Club Band. 

PGCB performing in The Cavern Bar. 

Kathryn Wilson (N’20) and Toni Rinaldi (C’20) sing Tori Kelly’s ‘Expensive’ during the set. 

Ryan Young (C’19) and Evan McClelland (C’21) share a talk while the band takes the stage. 

Jimmy Paolini (E’19) belts out “Let’s Get it On” to close the show. 

We left Toronto for the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia on Saturday afternoon, but not before squeezing in one last gig in the city on Saturday morning. The Singers had the privilege of performing on stage at Sing! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival — the premier acappella festival of Canada. We were even fortunate enough to have some Penn alumni from the area travel to see us perform in the Distillery District.

Clubbers Ryan Young (C’19) and Susanna Jaramillo (E’19) waited in line for three hours to score tickets to Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrors” installation at the Art Gallery of Ontario. 

Clubbers gather outside the hostel early on Saturday morning before one last gig in the city and before dashing to the airport for a flight to Vancouver. 

Some Clubbers pose with a Penn Alum at the Sing! Festival. 

Another excited Alumna poses with the Club. 

The stage managed to hold all the Singers!

Bye bye, Toronto!

Toronto was a fantastic opportunity for performance, friendship, and new experiences. And a the Glee Club jets to the West Coast (this post is being written aboard Air Canada Flight 117) we cannot wait to see what the last leg of tour has in store for us.

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Treble in Toronto!

With our first full day in Toronto came our first performance in the city.

We’re quite the sight on the Toronto public transit system. 

Being back in Khaki Blaze was a refreshing feeling for many Singers, and our uniform definitely attracted a lot of attention from passersby as we made our way from the hostel to the Royal Ontario Museum by metro. The performance venue was just a few minutes away thanks to public transportation, and the Clubbers excitedly gathered at the base of the iconic building by famous architect, Daniel Libeskind, to receive admission bracelets. 

Warm ups outside the Royal Ontario Museum. 

Our Nouveau Tech women look excited for their first tour gig ever!

Best friends Derek Cano (C’19), Austin Maguire (C’21), and Hyungtae Kim (C’20). 

Gigs are serious business....

...or are they?

Inside, the Clubbers arranged themselves into the traditional two row bow within the main gallery and sang a thirty minute set. From “Loch Lomond” to “Man in the Mirror” to “Afterglow,” the Club loved singing in such a prestigious museum. By the end of the performance, the sizable audience we’d garnered cheered enthusiastically and a few inquisitive audience members even approached members to ask questions about the Penn Glee Club, our Tour, and life as students in Philadelphia. Overall, the ROM performance was a resoundingly successful first gig in Canada. 

Performing in the main entrance gallery of the ROM.

The Penn Pipers make the most of the wonderful acoustics in the space. 

Our illustrious accompanist’s favorite hobby besides playing the piano is replicating 18th century paintings. 

Evan Weinstein (E’19) makes a very convincing bat in the Natural History exhibit. 

After our set, the Clubbers were allowed to explore the museum. We all took time to marvel at the dinosaur and natural history exhibit, to absorb the scale and beauty of the monastic murals in the China Gallery, and stand astonished at the base of towering Totem poles (The stairs of the ROM were build around the totem poles after they were fixed into place!). 

Hungry Clubbers departed the museum in search of food, with some choosing a popular Italian restaurant nearby, while others ventured further out to the famous Kensington Market for burgers or dumplings. 

The next day brought an even greater adventure for the Club, as we departed early in the morning for a day-long tour of Niagara Falls! As we drove from North to South around Lake Ontario, our friendly bus driver, Berkus, briefed us on the history of the Greater Toronto area -- the fourth largest metropolis in North America. 

The first stop on our tour was for breakfast at the quaint village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, a town directly at mouth of the Niagara River as it spills into the Great Lakes. The town’s main street felt taken straight from a Hallmark Original film, with antique storefronts and family-owned bakeries just a few minutes from the picturesque water. 

A view of Lake Ontario. 

Evan McClelland skips rocks on Lake Ontario at Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

The next few stops on the tour brought the club to the Smallest Chapel in the World, the Largest Floral Clock in the World, and one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the Western Hemisphere. 

Ice Wine is harvested from frozen, overripe grapes. One grape produces a singular drop of wine!

Ryan Young (C’19), Michael Samuelson (C’18), and Dylan Levine (C’19) enjoy the serenity of the vineyards just outside of Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

The smallest chapel in the world!

Bhaskar Abhiraman (C’21) smiles as the Club sings ‘Shenendoah’ in the smallest chapel in the world. 

Liam Stanton (C’20) seems to appreciate the variety of flora in the clock. 

However, the main stop on our trip was truly the showstopper. As the Club arrived at Niagara Falls, we immediately boarded the Hornblower Boat Tour. The ferry ride lasted approximately half an hour, but brought Clubbers directly to the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, passing by the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls on the way. The experience of viewing the waterfall from the bottom, with the mist soaking us completely, and the water roaring in our ears. was one that the Glee Club will never forget. 

Maria Perilla (C’21) and Michiyah Collins (C’21) embrace aboard the Hornblower. 

Kathryn Wilson (N’20) takes a moment to appreciate the stunning beauty of the Canadian Falls. 

The Club poses in front of the Niagara River and the American Falls. 

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The Road to Toronto

The Club’s first day of travel since departing for Canada went off without a hitch. The journey from historic Montréal to the bustling, metropolitan Toronto took approximately seven hours by bus, and Clubbers took the time to read, chat, and catch up on sleep. Approaching the city, the Club was astounded by just how tall this city was in comparison to the more quaint Montréal we had left behind. The French-inspired cobblestone alleys were replaced by sprawling highways leading to a skyline soaring with glass skyscrapers and the iconic CN Tower.

Clubbers meet for one final breakfast in Montréal. 

The Canada National Tower, or CN Tower, as seen from the bus as we approach Toronto. 

We disembarked the coach in high spirits despite the stand-still traffic we encountered along the way, and after checking in and freshening up, the Club took to the streets to find food and fun. Some Clubbers found savory Vietnamese Pho, others a unique Bubble Tea experience, while others still ventured to the Momofuku Milk Bar to find gourmet cookies. An exciting afternoon in a new city was made all the more exciting by the fact that we happened to arrive in Toronto on Victoria Day – a national holiday celebrating the late Queen Victoria’s birthday. Many Clubbers ended their night by traveling to Lake Ontario and watching the celebratory fireworks light up the waterfront. The spectacle was boisterous and beautiful – the perfect close to our first night in Toronto.

Ryan Young (C’19) enjoys a bubble tea from Labothéry, a build your own bubble tea place in Toronto. 

Lots of new flavors to try at Labothéry!

Breyasia Scott (C’18) makes sure to leave the Club’s mark on the city. 

Members of our Tech Staff, Maria Perilla (C’21), Michiyah Collins (C’21), and Manya Johnston-Ramirez (C’21), make the most of the glamorous lighting during a night out.

More dramatic lighting at the Milk Bar. 

Bubbly personalities at bubble tea!

Note: The Penn Pipers have recently started their own social media accounts – follow them to get more up-to-date notifications and photographs of their adventures!

Instagram: @upennpipers

Twitter: @piperspenn