As the curtain came down, the applause crashed like waves—who would’ve thought this musical about "moving" would turn "reduce, reuse, and recycle" into such a heartwarming tale?

On June 18, 2025, the sounds of the sea filled the auditorium at YCIS Chongqing. It wasn’t some boring tidal wave; it was a 1.5-hour wave of music sweeping across the stage. After a spring full of preparation, the "Rising Tides" musical finally took the spotlight. Two packed performances!

Every student from Years 1 to 6 took to the stage: the school orchestra strummed the breath of the sea, the choir lifted the tides with their voices, and the drama troupe conveyed a longing with their gazes, expressing a deep desire to stay—students and teachers united, passionately narrating a story of crisis caused by climate change flooding the school and the turnaround and redemption that brought hope through its ups and downs.

The lyrics and music were originally composed and arranged by Mr. Jeff Vukovich and Luca Sorrentino, with stage direction by Artist-in-Residence, Mr. Allan Nazareno. The set design was all about being eco-friendly: plastic bottles turned into metronomes, old cardboard boxes made into a recycling line, and discarded fabrics transformed into rolling waves as curtains—every detail conveyed the message: reduce, reuse, recycle.

When the abandoned cruise ship morphed into a new school building and gently "loated up from the sea, the whole cast sang "Working Together, Living is Better," bringing the performance to a peak of tears and laughter.

This musical, crafted through the combined efforts of students and teachers, was a powerful performance. It was YCIS’s way of sharing a message with the world:

Love for the environment starts with every child taking the stage.
Protecting our home begins with giving new life to old things.