Godspell: 2018 Musical
We really hope you did not miss this year’s musical, which was presented at Monash University’s Alexander Theatre recently. It was truly amazing and was certainly well received by those who attended. The participating students certainly did enjoy their involvement. They know now that the music is vibrant and enjoyable and that the dialogue and pantomime presentations are amusing and entertaining. If you were there, you will know how successful they were and how proud they should be of their achievements.
Producing a school musical is a fascinating exercise. There are an amazing array of tasks that need to be completed and you need to have an enthusiastic team of teachers and students working together to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the best experience possible. A number of adults (teaching staff from Salesian and Sacred Heart Girls’ College, administration and maintenance staff) were involved in the organisation of this musical and provided some excellent leadership and expertise. This was particularly true in the areas of choreography, music, singing and stagecraft.
The students involved needed to be prepared to commit to the acting, singing and dancing rehearsal work needed over a four to five month period. Others also needed to become engaged in the behind-the-scenes work (stage management, costumes, sets, props, lighting, sound and so on). Other students got the opportunity to perform in a band. Overall there were some 80 students involved. All had varying degrees of involvement but it was great to see them thrive, improve their talent and to see them develop a sense of ownership of the end result. They accepted the challenges set for them and were important contributors to the spectacle presented.
A special commendation needs to go to our principal actors (all 13 of them who were required to be on stage for at least 90 per cent of the musical). They spent many hours improving their singing, their dialogue, their gestures and their stagecraft. They gained valuable experience and we enjoyed their ability to sing some great songs and to present dialogue with the required good timing and entertaining humour. In a big dancing musical with so many chorus numbers, the chorus (even those with limited dancing ability) had to participate in some complicated choreography. They attacked the task with some fears but with concentrated effort they were able to get it right on the night. We challenged the students to try to improve each performance and it was great to see them achieve this.
It is great to see what young people can achieve when they are given the opportunity. Given this year’s challenging musical, their talents, energy and enthusiasm were well worth seeing. For me it was particularly pleasing to see joy and pride on so many faces, buoyed by the satisfaction of knowing that their hard work was rewarded.
Mr Adam Croft
Co-direction and Design
