One Eau Claire high school student received an amazing early graduation surprise. Sarah Leppert, a senior at  Memorial High School, received tickets to a performance by The Blue Man Group in the Twin Cities as a graduation gift, but the gift had a few unexpected extra’s thrown in. Sarah’s mother, Sharon, contacted the group to see if they would do something special for her daughter, expecting an autograph or something like that. Instead, the group graciously rewarded her daughter with a backstage pass to the show, and then they sweetened the deal by sending their band to Eau Claire to hold a workshop at  Memorial this coming Friday (May 2) from 10:30am to noon. “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect even an offer of a backstage pass or tour, let alone the event at the school,” Sharon told the Leader-Telegram. Jesse Nolan, a member of the Blue Man Groups’s band, was just as ecstatic, stating in an email that workshops such as this allow them to interact with their fans, much like they do during the performances. Leppert plans on continuing her music education at UW-Eau Claire in the fall and is excited to expand her percussion skills at the workshop.