On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, students and parent volunteers will gather at Rice to prepare for the show of the year. Sequins and sparkles–no glitter, to keep with Flynn policy– are scattered across lunch tables, while students run outside to coat their hair in layers of hairspray.
This year, on November 25, it will mark the 95th time students perform a variety show for parents, alumni, and other community members.
In 1929, Cathedral High School, under principal Rev. Robert Joyce, performed an evening of entertainment consisting of stunts and skits to raise funds for the school. The event was received so well that a second show was held in November, crowning the first winning class, the seniors of 1930. In 1932, the name was changed to “Stunt Nite” and it became one of the greatest events of the school year.
Though the show has changed since the 30’s, the spirit of Stunt Nite remains. Now rehearsal times and scheduling are closely monitored by parents and faculty alike. Classes are only allotted 21 hours to rehearse at Rice after school and over the weekend.
While rehearsals only last a short time, the majority of work happens outside of rehearsal without the students.
Parent Volunteers are the backbone of Stunt Nite, writing scripts, leading rehearsals, sewing costumes, and building anything and everything necessary to put on a show.
Their work starts over the summer, creating the concept of the show and figuring out the gimmicks that they could use for the coming year.
“It becomes this chance for parents to build community and get to know one another [and their unique talents],” said Meeghan Bird Matarazzo, a parent volunteer for the sophomores’ Stunt Nite. “Maybe they’re a dentist, and yet they have a really great skill with singing…Or maybe they’re engineers, and they built this really cool prop that’s indestructible.”
Many parents will continue on all four years and the bonds created from the very first Stunt Nite meeting grow deeper.
A great thing about Stunt Nite is that all kids start out on equal footing. They all have the same amount of rehearsal time and budget, so no one can truly argue that one class is favored. The only difference between classes is experience.
“The Seniors know the drill—they’ve done this three times before and know what to do; we’ve all learned where various strengths are and try to use them to our advantage. I also feel like the seniors trust us enough to try almost anything,” said Karen Robinson, a parent and coach for the seniors and sophomores. “Sophomores are … still learning everyone’s strengths and building trust. It’s a growing process for students and coaches.”
While parents may be the backbone, students are not slacking off. Many students help with props and the backdrop or take on the role of choreographer
“I feel like, for me, it was more of just ‘this is something I know how to do’ because of all my dance experience…” said Lucia Bird Matarazzo, an alum from the class of 2024, “the only way for the magic of Stunt Nite to occur is if everyone does their part.”
Another student choreographer, senior Lillian Ehlers, has helped create the class of 2026’s finale for the past three years.
“Stunt Nite has been a space of expression for me”, says Ehlers. “As a dancer, my passion is not often recognized at school as I am a part of a studio. Stunt Nite gives me and other dancers the ability to showcase something so vital to our lives.”
Ehlers continues, “At first it was hard to stand in front of my whole class and tell them what to do, but seeing the smiles on their faces and the excitement of finally getting the steps down is so rewarding.”
The day before the final performance, the Knights travel to the Flynn to run through the performance on the large stage.
“This is a really special moment to share with the rest of the classes,” said senior Lily Collins. “We worked really hard for the past month and being able to show it means a lot.”
This is also the time for classes to see each other’s shows and for Rice students to become more interconnected as they clap and cheer one another on.
That brings students to show day. Gathering in the cafeteria to prepare for the event they have worked on since Halloween.
Up first to perform is the freshman. They load on to buses and are brought to the Flynn Theater in Downtown Burlington, where an audience of 1,300+ waits.
“They get to go on stage at [Vermont’s] biggest Theater, which they’ll never have a chance to do again,” said math teacher, Freshman Class Advisor, and Stunt Nite Co-Coordinator, Paul DiFalco. “They get to showcase talent…and they get to find talent they never knew they had.”
The audience–made up of supportive family, friends, and members of the wider community who come simply to enjoy the performances–responds with enthusiastic cheering to each act.
“It’s a chance for the kids to shine,” said Bird Matarazzo. “I want them to know that’s how God sees them all the time. That’s how us parents see you all the time. You’re that amazing to us all the time. And I always think that I want to tell them, ‘Lock that in your heart. Remember that’s how much we love you all the time.'”
After singing and dancing their hearts out, students get back on buses and head to Rice to eat and recover for the next show.
A special tradition to honor the freshman after their first show is the clapping tunnel. Seniors and juniors form a path as they walk back in the building and clap them into the cafeteria. This is one of the largest community builders that happens for new students and it fully welcomes all freshmen into the Rice community.
“I feel so moved by how supportive the whole school is of one another, that and the way they make the clapping tunnel for the kids to come in when they come off the bus, like when the freshmen come in and all the upperclassmen are clapping for them,” said Bird Matarazzo. “It brings me to tears every year.”
When the clock strikes midnight and costumes have been traded for loungewear, the students gather nervously in the gym, waiting for Mr. Nagy to reveal the winners of the year. Holding hands anxiously, the crowd roars upon hearing the results, reflecting on the month of persistence.
Winning may feel like you’re on top of the world, but it is not what Stunt Nite is for. Stunt Nite is a tradition that brings the school together through art, talent, and teamwork.
All of us at the Knight’s Banner wish all the performers the best! Break a leg!!!
Click here to read Maelyn Slavik’s poem about Stunt Nite: “The Genuine Beauty of Dreams”.
