Behind every great musical is a director crossing their fingers that nothing goes wrong.
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For Orange Christian School, that director just so happens to be the creative and performing arts coordinator Melissa Collins.
The latest in a long line of performances organise by Ms Collins happened at the end of October.
With well-known songs from many a parent's childhood ringing out to packed audiences, the school's primary group put forward a musical production of 'The Lion King Jr' which proved to be a smash hit.
More than 1000 people came over the two nights to watch the production, which would prove the last performance of its like that will take place at the school in 2022.
Ms Collins has now given the world a backstage look at what goes into creating a successful showcase for both performer and audience member, in what is the latest edition of our Five questions with ... feature piece.
1.When auditions are happening, what qualities do you look for in terms of lead roles?
What I look for changes depending on the role. As well as the usual things like singing range and confidence, ultimately, I'm looking team players who will work hard and support each other.
2.What goes into creating a school performance from scratch with new kids in new roles each term/year?
At OCS we have primary and secondary musicals all year around.
Deciding on what musical to do next is often the most challenging part of the process. Once the scripts and scores have arrived, we set auditions and the months of rehearsals begin. There are always sets to create, costumes to dream up and make, schedules for rehearsals and crew needed for backstage. Not to mention the administration and promotion of the performances.
I am incredibly grateful for and couldn't do it without the musical team who work with me on getting those things together.
3.What are the biggest hurdles in getting a play up and running?
Like most things, the biggest challenge is time.
Everyone in the cast and crew have multiple commitments both inside and outside of school, so being available and committed to rehearsals is vital to a show's success.
4.What is the role of a director when the play is happening?
My role changes depending on the show, for example with Lion King Jr, we had Stage 5 music students helping backstage and, on the sound and lighting desk. So, during the performances last month, I was up the back with these guys following the script and making sure the next backing track or lighting que was ready to go.
They did an excellent job, and it was great to be able to have our secondary students helping our primary students to shine.
5.What is the feeling from yourself and your cast after each performance is over?
Everyone was so excited after Thursday night's performance was finished. While I was glad Thursday night went well, the pressure was still on to pull it off again on Friday night.
Post show on Friday, I think for everyone it was a mix of excitement and exhaustion. It really was a privilege to see every student from Prep to Year 6 up on stage doing their best.
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