As our first full week of rehearsals draws to an end, we are beginning to see the show take shape before our very eyes. None of this is be possible without our wonderful director, dedicated stage manager or supremely talented cast. Our Nifty Chorus makes each rehearsal period just fly by. Pictured above: Aria Rustage (Chorus) and Sophie Bottling (Chorus/Ella understudy). Although not the stars of the show, each Chorus member brings their own unique experiences and creative ideas! When asked what she thought about being in her first musical, grade 11 Musical Theatre student Gretel Kaune (Chorus/ Lady Pinkleton understudy) said, “I've learned so much these past two months and I'm feeling super confident going into the show because I have lots of help from my friends and teachers.” She then continued saying, “These people feel like a family to me and it's been really easy to learn techniques and acting strategies from them.” Being in the Chorus can be just as taxing as being a lead sometimes. We have some quick changes that last around 30 seconds. Each person plays at least three characters, each with their own personality, motivations and costumes. Although not the centre of focus onstage the majority of the time, an abundance of character development work goes into playing a background character and making each action purposeful and unique. Another aspect of the chorus life is the understudying, eight talented members of the Chorus learn all the movement, lines, songs for a lead and stand ready to perform if the person they understudy becomes sick or unavailable. On top of their own Chorus blocking, dancing and vocals, they learn the character they understudy for inside and out! They have all the blocking and choreo written down to help not only themselves but the person they understudy and act as a sort of support. Not every Chorus member is an understudy, but each person in the show helps it flow, not one person is unimportant in the grand scheme of things! Chorus members are also a major part of the vocal work for the show. Without a strong chorus of committed vocals, many of the larger numbers would be supremely lackluster. When asked what the hardest part he had to deal with so far in the show, Noah Miller (Chorus/Jean-Micheal understudy) had this to say; “The vocals and workload are more difficult than expected.” All of it becomes worthwhile as we continue to plan and polish our scenes, but those high notes do take a toll! Being able to consider ourselves a part of Cinderella and a part of the company is a huge honor, and we couldn't be more proud to tackle this show with the BEST group of talented, dedicated friends. We are able to push ourselves and each other to put on the best version of Cinderella we can. Nothing drives the Chorus more than being able to share the thrills of musical theatre with the family we’ve built. Pictured above: Chorus members: Alivia Buchan (Gabrielle understudy), Gretel Kaune (Lady Pinkleton understudy), Waverly Porter, Noah Miller (Jean-Micheal understudy), Nicole Craymer, Sophie Bottling (Ella understudy), Mckie Dummit (Sebastian understudy) Grace Hatherly, Chelsea Macklin (Charlotte understudy), Aria Rustage and Amelia Hansen (Madame understudy).
Not pictured: Chorus members: Dhilan Mahara (Prince Topher understudy), Kie Reynolds and Faith Guest. Written by: Nicole Craymer (Chorus) and Amelia Hansen (Chorus/Madame understudy). ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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Last week the musical theatre class sat down and spent an afternoon doing a full read through of our entire script for Cinderella! This was one of our most exciting days yet, as it was a first look at how the cast is able to work together, and our first glimpse at what our musical will be! The room was full of positive energy and smiles, as we finally came together as a group, and had the feeling that our journey was really beginning. Through the ups and downs of the afternoon, we laughed, we cried, and we experienced new feelings. The most interesting part was seeing people play around with their characters and ideas. For some, this was the first time we would read the entire script. For others, we were learning to look at some characters in a new light. Everyone's characters changed and developed throughout the read through, and although it was funny at times, almost everyone seemed to begin to find themselves, and to develop and attach emotions to their characters. Moving forward, it is important for us to remember to be confident in the choices that we make; as our incredible co-op student, Chelsey Carberry puts it: “The read through was pretty strong, although I felt a few people were nervous and holding back from their full potential” This advice can apply to an situation that we come across, it is important to always remember to push ourselves,for the best possible outcome. This read through was an exciting first look at our characters, and we are all so excited for them to grow and change as time goes on, and it is important for us all to remember that we are always learning. Written by Dylan Macdonald and Sara Lytle :)
Yes! That's finally it, we are done with auditions and call backs! Now everyone can take a deep breath and relax. To kick off our week, we started with our highly anticipated casting announcement, which was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved! Ms.Tye and Mr. Jackson thought long and hard about who to cast in what role. “Casting Cinderella was a challenge, but certainly the challenge that every director wants to have,” says Ms. Tye. “Everyone came so prepared to auditions that we had several great options for all of the roles! We worked hard all audition week, rehearsing scenes, learning new songs, and having important character development discussions to help us narrow down our choices. We feel really great about the casting decisions we made, and Mr. Jackson and I are incredibly proud of all the hard work this class put into audition week.” In the end, it came down to not only talent, but the effort our classmates put into auditions throughout the week. To be successful in Musical Theatre, you must put effort into everything you do, which was what Ms. Tye and Mr. Jackson were looking for last week, inside and outside of auditions. It came down to a few simple criterias that our teachers had:
It was a very difficult decision to make but when it finally came down to announcing the roles, both of our teachers seemed very confident with their decisions. DRUM ROLL PLEASE! CAST LIST:
Dylan Macdonald and Grace De Mara (who are playing Prince Topher and Ella), rehearse for their auditions. After all was said and done, there were tears of both excitement and sadness, but everyone was very supportive and encouraging to the people who got the larger, sought-after roles. Although some of our classmates were away volunteering on a trip, we were still able to share the joy and excitement with them over the phone. Their cheers of elation and support echoed through the room. Overall, the class was very pleased with the casting decisions, and are all looking forward to seeing each individual thrive as they take on their role.
Not only was cast list announced, but the production roles were announced as well. The audience may only see the actors shining onstage, but there so many people who shine backstage, who ultimately allow the show “to go on” and run without a hitch. Everyone was very satisfied with their production roles and over the past few days, we have been able to see each individual really start to embrace their onstage and backstage roles. This week, we are beginning to dive into the script in anticipation for the upcoming week, when rehearsals begin. This week, we have all been given the opportunity to step back, breathe, and catch up on some homework before the craziness of rehearsals consumes us. We are all excited to be spending the next few months working alongside our classmates to create something we hope everyone will enjoy! We are all looking forward to beginning this new adventure together, and are thrilled to be a part of this year’s production of Cinderella! -By Faith Morales (Stage Manager) and Miranda Steiginga (Gabrielle) |
AuthorOur blog and website is managed by T.A.S. Musical Theatre staff and students. Guest writers are also welcome - contact us if you'd like to contribute. Archives
January 2018
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