Well we are nearly there. We have a week to go before our set and costumes arrive and the show week begins. We have had some wonderful rehearsals and there is just so much excitement.
Tickets have sold well and we have already shifted 1100 over the week, which is just amazing. The staging is going up and we are doing all of the last minute production stuff to ensure we have a great show.
I have been putting on musicals for a number of years now and I have been involved in so many different shows. When I first started out I guess I was basically the person who did a bit of everything. I remember working on shows where I did the props, painted the stage and appeared as a policeman, priest or even a donkey. Those shows were such a great place for me to learn what goes in to pulling off a great musical. I learnt about dancing, singing, acting, orchestras, bars, painting, costumes and even makeup. I got to see how casts came together and how the show gradually formed over a number of weeks. Before I put on my first show, which was “The Boy Friend”, I learnt so much and I now bring all of that to the table with our current productions.
And so at this stage in the process it really is all in the details. I want everything to be perfect. I want to make sure the tickets are selling, that the hall is looking good and that the costumes are all sorted. I work as a team with my drama teachers to ensure that we are all working from the same page, bringing one vision to the process. And I think the details matter. When people come to see a show they want an amazing experience, and I want to ensure that they have that experience. I make sure we have a licensed bar, that we have snacks available and lots of photos up for them to look at. I want the toilets to be clear, the seats to be well laid out and the car-park to be well organised. In my opinion, everything matters and everything helps to make the week amazing.
The cast have been on an amazing journey this year and I am seeing so many characters coming through. Everyone has grown as singers, dancers and performers. Beauty is a great show for that because the story and the songs are so strong. The students have latched on to the show really well and all of us staff just feel that we have a great show on our hands. Their hard work is what fuels us as staff to make sure that everything is perfect. We don’t want people to leave with any issues or complaints. We want to give people a great night out at our school. Therefore we do put money into it, but what we get is a fantastic finished product.
I am really excited about this show. I am mainly excited to see the set and costumes that we have hired in. Costumes are crucial for this show and the company we have used have been amazing. They have been on the phone all week wanting to get things right for us and they have given us so much support and advice:
The same with our set. The company have been amazing and I can’t wait to see it on the stage and ready to go:
I am also excited to bring all the hard work together for that magical week. A week where we will all be exhausted but just so fulfilled by the experience. I can’t wait to hear the orchestra and students and lose the backing tracks – helpful, but too much MIDI isn’t good for anyone. When a show comes together it really is wonderful and the whole school community enjoys the week. We have tons of staff coming – free tickets for staff is a must – and we also have lots of families looking forward to a night out.
This won’t be my last blog on this theme I am sure. I wish you could all see it, but I guess it will have to be photos for the final instalment.
And if you are considering doing Beauty & The Beast I say, GO FOR IT!
If you are local to Windsor and wanna come and see it, then let me know! I will give any music teacher a free ticket if they fancy it!
