Members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama department took the stage at Sunday’s Tony Awards, just months after a school shooting left 17 of their classmates and teachers dead and more than a dozen others injured.
The students performed “Seasons of Love” from the hit musical “Rent” onstage during Broadway’s biggest night. They received a standing ovation before and after their performance.{mosads}
The emotional performance moved viewers, many of whom took to Twitter to praise the students.
Melody Herzfeld, the high school’s drama teacher, was also honored Sunday night. Herzfeld, who is credited with saving dozens of students’ lives by hiding them in a closet during the shooting, was given the 2018 Excellence in Theatre Education Award.
The annual prize is awarded by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University to teachers who have “demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.”