Dr. Harriton: the night of all nights, the biggest event of the year, and an annual tradition. It is a night that Harriton students look forward to every year, and is always a night to remember. From hilarious talents to beautifully choreographed dances to the final reveal of the usually staggering amount of money raised for local charities, Dr. Harriton is an integral part of our school community. This year’s Dr. Harriton is coming up this Friday on February 25th, and with more tickets on sale now, there is still a chance to be there in person, so make sure to buy your tickets!

I interviewed two of Dr. Harriton’s contestants: Carter Wolfgang (‘22) and Sam Groover (‘22), to learn more about them and the upcoming show.

The Harriton Banner: What was your first experience with Dr. Harriton? (ie. going to the show when you were a freshman, having an older sibling go through the experience)?

Carter Wolfgang: My first experience with Dr. Harriton was watching it for the first time freshman year. I’ve heard great things about it and knew that it was meant for me.

Sam Groover: I first went to the show my freshman year in 2019 after hearing about how great the show was from years before.

THB: What do you think is special about this show? Why is it so integral to Harriton’s community?

CW: What is so special about this show is that people get to put their creativity and skills to use in front of hundreds of people in order to raise money for charity. By having fun and making unbreakable bonds, we get to help out those who are less fortunate. 

SG: This show is a great way for Harriton to come together and raise money for good causes while also putting on an amazing show.

THB: How is the Dr. Harriton experience different from anything you have done before?

CW: Dr. Harriton is different from anything I have done before because it’s an actual show. I’ve never been in a real show before, and seeing how hard everyone works makes me appreciate how hard everyone works for shows like this, whether it’s Dr. Harriton or something else. 

SG: It is similar in many ways in that we are all a team, but it is different because it is a live performance and everything needs to go perfectly.

THB: How has COVID had an impact on the show? How do you feel about the changes?

CW: COVID has impacted us greatly. We lost [the] place that we were originally practicing at, and had to find a new practice spot. We also had times where people would miss practice. I’m glad that we were able to keep a positive attitude and use our chemistry in order to not let COVID ruin any part of the show. 

SG: Early on in the show’s process we were hit by a COVID wave that restricted us from practicing for a week. Although it was a bump in the road, we didn’t let it change the outcome of the show.

THB: What has the experience of preparing for Dr. Harriton been like so far for you? Could you share any funny rehearsal stories or a lesson that you learned over the past months?

CW: It has been very fun practicing for the show. We have been able to make special bonds and all get along. A funny story is when we were learning a dance move, nobody was able to do it correctly. It was a pretty simple move, but it was funny seeing how everyone did it. 

THB: What is one past Dr. Harriton performance that you will always remember?

CW: One past Dr. Harriton performance I will remember is when someone [Andy Wu] was running a Kahoot, letting the audience decide what genre of music [he] would play on the piano for a specific song. I thought it was really cool.

This year’s team of contestants has overcome many obstacles to put on this year’s Dr. Harriton, which is sure to be an amazing show! Buy your tickets today and keep an eye out for Carter and Sam, who will be competing for the 15th annual Dr. Harriton title!