On Broadway: California kids hit N.Y.

In New York‘s busy Grand Central Terminal, the drama-loving kids from Verdugo Hills High School create their own island. A group of two teachers and 14 students came to the Big Apple for a Broadway adventure.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

From left, Verdugo High students Michelle Miner, Joe Kinney and Sarah Stone snap photos at the Statue of Liberty.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Dylan Smith and Chrissa Villanueva catch their breath on a Manhattan subway. Kids on the New York trip saw plays, took a behind-the-scenes theater tour and had the chance to chat with an insider, the Monster from “Young Frankenstein.”  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Ian Campbell, at left in front, and classmates Chrissa Villanueva and Dylan Smith stroll through New York‘s Little Italy neighborhood.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Shopping for souvenirs was a major component of the kids’ New York trip. In Greenwich Village, they browse at a jewelry shop.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

At New York‘s Public Theater, general manager Nicki Genovese tells the California group about the theater and its history.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Dylan Smith, left, Chrissa Villanueva, Sean Frost and Adrian Contreras in the heart of Manhattan‘s theater district.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A long way from Tujunga, the students make their way through Manhattan. Their five-day trip in June combined sightseeing, Broadway shows and dream-building.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)