Congratulations
One of the joys of teaching is witnessing students take risks, stretch themselves and appreciate the rewards of hard work. The Grease musical achieved this and the students not only had great fun, they also formed friendships, developed skills and fell in love with performance.
It takes great courage to perform for an audience and I commend each and every student, from Marist, Canberra Girls Grammar and St Clare’s College, who participated in this production for having the self-belief to take up the challenge.
Congratulations to Keiran McKenna who, as Danny, had great presence on stage bringing an edgy, jockish air to the character. Patrick Seymour’s energy brought the rebellious Kenickie to life with enormous intensity. Lara Pulciani‘s stunning voice as Sandy made the songs her own while Tamara Brammall as Rizzo was fabulous as she strutted her feisty, vulnerable character with professionalism. The performances of all demonstrated a great commitment to their craft, while Deputy Headmaster Ryan Greer’s cameo performance in Beauty School Dropout was delivered with a suave mischievousness that brought much joy.
Of course, such a production could not take shape without the tireless efforts of so many staff and students supporting the performers. Maggie Haigh’s vision and creativity was evident from the opening scene and her leadership as Director ensured the audience was in for a special performance. She was well supported by Assistant Director Vanessa Johnson bringing her wealth of experience to the team. Senior students Nicholas Cachia and Charlie Cooper also played crucial roles supporting Maggie as Assistant Directors, taking entire responsibility for a number of scenes. Lenore Osland as repetiteur proved a wonderful support for our performers. The orchestra, under the direction of Andrew Hackwill, performed with the authority of seasoned professionals. Before any rehearsing commenced, Andrew rewrote the entire score for each instrument in the orchestra. Jarrod Schindler, as Producer, led the team with expertise, providing the necessary support to allow all the opportunity to be part of a first-class, professional show.
There are many more to thank: there was a huge production team working behind the scenes with set creation, makeup, costumes, front and back of house. The generosity of our staff is a great feature of College life and I know our boys are forever grateful to be provided the myriad of opportunities for them to grow and discover their passions.