It's not how middle schoolers in Florida planned to perform "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown."
The musical at Rushe Middle School in Land O' Lakes was scheduled for last week. But like so many other events, it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eighth-grader Tyler Zacharias had the lead role.
"My reaction was like, 'Oh man, what are we going to do? We aren't going to have a show,'" he said.
But when Tyler heard just how bummed his drama teacher was, he decided to do something.
"I just asked everybody, 'Hey can you send me a video of your part in the song?'"
The song Tyler picked was the show's emotional finale called Happiness.
"It is a very uplifting and moving song in which the characters come together after all the conflicts and troubles and think about the happiness in the world," said Zacharias.
He edited everything together, synched it up, and then came the surprise for their teacher.
Jeff Roush had no idea it was coming.
"I open it up, and there are my kids, and it brought a lot of tears to my eyes. I couldn't talk for a while," said Roush.
"I've been getting reactions from lots of teachers saying they are proud of us, and it made their day, and it changed their mood," said Zacharias.
While the show never made the stage, it still found a way to touch hearts.
"I love these kids, and there's a special bond that I have with them," said Roush.
