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Something incredible is happening on St. John, and you can be a part of it!

Each year, two Broadway professionals partner with St. John School of the Arts to teach our 4th grade students acting, singing, dancing, and stagecraft. The students then showcase their newly learned skills for the community. It’s all part of “Broadway Comes to St. John,” an intensive two-week program sponsored by the St. John School of the Arts which culminates in the school’s major fundraising event.

This year’s show, “The Missing Map: A Journey Around the World,” is an original production created by Andrew J. Hanley and Suzanna Dupree, the directors of last year’s show. It’s being held on Saturday, January 27th at St. John School of the Arts, which is located in Cruz Bay. Tickets are $250 and include admission to the exclusive performance, a wine tasting prior to the show, a cocktail hour, an auction, and a hand-selected dinner at one of St. John’s many contributing restaurants, including 18º64º, Extra Virgin, Hinds@Meada’s Plaza, La Tapa, Morgan’s Mango, Rum Hut and others.

You can purchase tickets on the school’s website at https://www.stjohnschoolofthearts.org/events-broadway-comes-to-st-john

Andrew J. Hanley is a composer, music director, teaching artist, and music therapist based in New York City who brings more than 13 years of experience making theater with kids of all ages.

Suzanna Dupree, who began her career touring nationally and internationally with A Chorus Line, has served as a judge for multiple dance competition circuits and taught masterclasses at schools and studios around the world.

The two directors arrive on St. John with a script, props, and everything they need to direct 35 4th-graders attending the Julius E. Sprauve School, the Gifft Hill School, the St. John Christian Academy, and our home-schooled children.

“Broadway is a truly transformative program for students,” said Jeune´ Provost, executive director of the SJSA. “We’re excited to see how the students blossom throughout their experience and share this splendor with the community.”

Parents are invited to attend a performance of the show on Friday, January 26. A limited number of tickets to this show will be available to the public at the door for $25.

Now in its 43rd year, SJSA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “empower the island’s youth and their families through our passion for music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts.” Tickets to “Broadway Comes to St. John” are fully tax-deductible.

For further information, please contact the St. John School of the Arts at 340-779-4322.

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Repeat island tour guests invited me to take the ferry to Jost van Dyke with them yesterday, and we had so much fun! It was such an easy process that I thought I would share the details with all of you.

Let’s start with logistics. Jost van Dyke is an island in the British Virgin Islands. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by boat. Because it is another country, you need a passport to visit and, upon arrival, you will need to clear through customs and immigration. Jost has numerous popular beach bars, including Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy’s, as well as beautiful white sandy beaches. It is a great place to spend the day.

There are several ways to get to Jost. You can rent a private boat (Dulce Vita Sails, Flyaway Charters, Island Roots Boat Charters, Palm Tree Charters, or Sunshine Daydream Boat Charters are all great!), or you can hop on a group trip. If you simply want to go to Jost and back, the ferry is an easy alternative.

Inter Island Boat Services offers ferry service between Cruz Bay and Jost van Dyke every Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. The cost is $120 for adults and $100 for children ages three to 11. Children two and under are free. There is an additional $30 per person for customs that you pay directly to the British Virgin Islands government upon arrival. Children five and under are exempt from this fee.

The ferry leaves at 8 a.m. They ask that you arrive 45 minutes early, which is rough for this island girl. We arrived at 7:40 a.m., and we were some of the last passengers on the boat. The ferry left promptly at 8 a.m., and we pulled into Great Harbour, Jost van Dyke at 8:30 a.m.

We waited in line for about 15 minutes before we handed our passports over to get stamped at the first window. We then paid $10 each at the next window. After that, we went outside and then back inside to a separate section of the building where we had to pay an additional $20 departure tax. We were told to keep the stamped receipt, which we needed to show when we left at the end of the day. By 8:53 a.m., we were walking down the street to Tipsy Shark for breakfast.

Mike, Dalton, and I sat for breakfast and enjoyed the view for about an hour before taking a taxi over to White Bay, home of Soggy Dollar Bar. We had a great breakfast at Tipsy Shark, and it was reasonably priced too. I would definitely go back.

The taxi from Great Harbour (where Foxy’s, Ali Baba’s, and Corsair’s are located, among other great spots) to White Bay (Soggy Dollar, Gertrude’s, and Hendo’s are a few spots here) took about five or so minutes. The cost for the three of us was $20.

The taxi dropped us off at Soggy Dollar Bar at 10:15 a.m. and we stayed there until 3:30 p.m. It was the perfect amount of time. Dalton made a ton of new friends throughout the day, so he was busy playing in the water and building sandcastles while Mike and I visited with friends and indulged in a cocktail or two. I was excited to see that Soggy Dollar now offers blended drinks. I tried the Buskwacker (two actually!), and they were delicious!

A taxi was waiting for us when it was time to head back to Great Harbour to catch the ferry back home. It left promptly at 4 p.m. and we were in line at US Customs & Immigration at 4:30 p.m. We were at the end of the line, so clearing in took about 15 minutes. We handed the officer our passports and were on our way within minutes.

Taking the ferry is an inexpensive option when you simply want to visit Jost van Dyke, but it in no way can replace the experience of hiring a licensed boat charter company. The ferry was simply a way of getting from A to B. I prefer booking a private charter when looking to get the real British Virgin Islands experience. Regardless of how you get there, I love a good BVI boat trip day. Yesterday felt like a vacation, and that was beyond lovely.

And for those of you who enjoy watching Dalton’s adventures, you can follow him on Instagram now at www.instagram.com/daltonsislandlife.

Have a great day everyone!

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Hello all! I am currently on a plane back home, so forgive me for not posting a real story today. Please take a few minutes to check out our St. John webcams. Enjoy!

St. John Spice Cam – Overlooking the ferry dock & Cruz Bay

The Beach Bar – Bar Cam

The Beach Bar – Panoramic Beach Cam

The Beach Bar – Stage Cam (This webcam is only online when The Beach Bar has live music.)

The Windmill Bar

Coconut Coast Studios – Overlook Frank Bay toward St. Thomas – Sunset Views & Sound 

Mare Blu villa – Overlooking Rendezvous Bay

Villa Circe – Views of Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Sir Francis Drake Channel & more

Calichi at Picture Point – 360 degree views!

Coral Bay Views – Located at Coconut Hill cottage, high above Coral Bay

Grande Bay Resort – Overlooking Cruz Bay

Fish Camp – Overlooking Turner Bay, Little St. James & French Cap

Great Expectations villa – Overlooking Hart & Rendezvous bays

Great Expectations – Sunset cam

La Jolla Caribe – Located in Catherineberg, high above Cinnamon Bay – northeast view

La Jolla Caribe – northwest view

Long Bay Beach Villa – St. John’s East End

Lovango Resort & Beach Club

Maho Bay House

Soggy Dollar Bar – Located over in Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands 

Villa Calypso – Overlooking Klein Bay with views of Ditliff Point

Windsong Villa – Overlooking Fish Bay & beyond

Windswept Point Live – Located on a point between Trunk & Cinnamon bays 

Coconuts villa – Located in Gifft Hill with views toward Pillsbury Sound & St. Thomas 

https://www.weather.vi/webcam.php

Esprit villa – Located on Bordeaux Mountain, above Coral Bay

https://espritstjohn.com/live-webcam/

Sunset Ridge Villas – Located above Cruz Bay with views toward St. Thomas 

http://208.84.193.93:88/popup.html