Emily Palekis

Head of Learning- Performing Arts

Our 2023 Whole School Production of Bye Bye Birdie was a roaring success!!

With over 80 students involved from performing onstage, to creating sets, props and costumes, playing in the orchestra, I am immensely proud of all the students who have participated in our production this year.

Bye Bye Birdie was quite a different show from some of our previous selections. It’s a classic music theatre show, and its very simple. This show doesn’t require flashy sets or lighting, all the magic for this show happens onstage from the performers to the orchestra to the backstage crew. All these students working together bring our show to life!

But that doesn’t happen overnight – the students involved have shown dedication and commitment, learning, rehearsing, building skills over many months to make this show the success it was. They have shown maturity in their approach to ensure they are prepared for each rehearsal, teamwork in helping each other, creative approaches and problem solving when given the opportunity to create and contribute to the production.

Walking into a professional theatre can be daunting for some students. Students are working alongside theatre professionals including riggers, audio engineers, lighting designers and technical operators. We are fortunate to have been working with the Clocktower Centre for many years that they take this opportunity to train our students on this equipment and give them the opportunity to experience what working in a theatre is really like. Students were operating the lights, flying sets and curtains, managing the fitting of microphones and operating the audio desk.

Thank you to all our BSC Community who came along and supported the students in the performances of Bye Bye Birdie!!

Emile GEBHARDT - Ensemble

Year 7

I found it really fun and made lots of friends, it was a nice thing to do and made me look forwards to going to school and getting to perform it after all the work we put into it.

Layla CARVER – Principal Role

Year 9

I had so much fun this year with Bye Bye Birdie. It was my first time being cast as a main featured character so I was a bit nervous, but there was so much support and enthusiasm that it was nothing but a wonderful experience. I found each rehearsal exciting as we developed our show step by step. The real highlight of course was the production week, where everything came together. Performing on stage with colourful costumes, bright lights and heavily hair-sprayed hair was so thrilling, it's really my favourite time of year. I have felt that such a supportive and passionate community has been created through this process. I have developed so many connections and have thoroughly enjoyed working with new and old friends on and off stage. I will miss working with the cast of Bye Bye Birdie but I am looking forward to next year's production and the new excitement it will bring!

Gabriel DI FALCO – Featured Role

Year 10

To be honest I'm still buzzing from production week. The feeling of being on stage and presenting your hard work is an amazing feeling, and a great privilege that we get to do it. After seeing every element of the show being put into place during the rehearsal process, it's a great relief seeing the culmination of that, and I'm sure everyone involved is very proud of their contribution to the production this year.

Imogen BRAIN – Featured Dancer and Ensemble

Year 8

I really enjoyed the production of Bye Bye Birdie this year, and I highly encourage everyone to audition next year and give it a go! the atmosphere at the theatre is always so welcoming and encouraging and the people are so nice! being a part of the dance ensemble is one of the most fun things I could have done, and gaining these experiences is something I'll never forget!

Chloe ITALIA - Ensemble

Year 8

Bye Bye Birdie was really fun and a great experience. Everyone there was super nice and supportive and it was great to talk to people of all different year levels. It's one of my favourite things this year and i look forward to more!

Sienna MULCAHY - Backstage

Year 9

The whole experience of this production was incredible. It was great being able to showcase my art skills, designing and painting the props. I have met so many people during this time, not just from my year level. Performing in front of a live audience was a totally different experience than anything I've done before. Hearing the applause for everyone's hard work is a really fun and rewarding part of the show. Working in the clocktower was also a really cool time. I got to see how all the magic happens backstage, all the effort that we do, and since I was on lights, I was able to learn a bunch of new technological skills. Also, being able to go into a room that says "crew only" makes you feel really cool.

Deb Gough

Parent & Audience Member

In a disconnected world, joining the BSC school production is a great way for teens to feel a part of something bigger. They work together in a non-competitive way – backstage, in the orchestra pit or on stage – and there are so many jobs you can do. It’s a huge confidence booster to sing together, learn to dance, say a line, play an instrument in unison, and to take responsibility for props and sets. Mostly though, it is fun to meet other kids who might not be in your class, year level, or friendship sphere – the banter is often hilarious. Sometimes people say the 'production kids' have a different air about them. It is not the kids themselves, but the bond that draws them together -it is almost visible from a distance and awe inspiring up close!

Jordan CRISMANI – Featured Role

Year 8

I had the role of Harvey Johnson. I loved performing in the production and had so much fun. I have made many new friends, and met lots of new people. My confidence and passion for the arts has skyrocketed since performing in the productions. Everyone: Onstage, backstage and band, were incredibly fun to work with. I look forward to doing productions in the future. Thank you to Emily Palekis for the amazing experience and good luck to any future performers.

Charlie ROLFE - Orchestra

Year 12

I really enjoyed playing in the band for Bye Bye Birdie this year, especially the final production week where we spent a lot of time rehearsing, polishing, and then performing in the theatre. It was really nice once we had put in all the hard work to put the show together and then we could just enjoy ourselves as we shared the performances with our friends and families. I also found it was a valuable experience in broadening my mind to the possibility of pursuing this sort of career as an orchestra pit musician. I'm very proud of all my peers but especially my fellow band members, as we were able to tackle some quite challenging music, and it was great to meet and get to know all these talented musicians at our school!

Lachlan KELLY - Ensemble

Year 7

Bye bye birdie was a great experience for me and performing is front of a crowd was so much fun. It was months of work to learn the songs and dances but it was all worth it for an awesome show.

Ahmad ABDILLAH - Orchestra

Year 7

I really enjoyed Bye Bye Birdie. It was the first school production I have been involved. At the first day of rehearsal I expected the music to be difficult and intermediate but after I've been through all the songs I can manage to play them. The music has lots of genres like jazz, tango, blues, rock and roll, 50's bebop, etc. Everything there is joyful and vibrant! My favourite part of the production is rehearsing in the theatre because I can get the feeling with the story and the actors. My peers in the band were supportive of each other. They are also talented and I'm very honoured to be there. Thanks to Emily Palekis and Lindsay Owen and all the Bye Bye Birdie company!

Ava KEE – Featured Dancer and Ensemble

Year 8

Bye Bye Birdie was an amazing experience. I enjoyed rehearsing and building on my skills as a performer. I met and got closer to so many students from other year levels and strengthened the friendships I already had. I would like to say thankyou to all the teachers and other students who me helped out. The Bye Bye Birdie Production is a memory I will remember for a long time.

Stephanie BARWICK – Dance Captain

Year 11

Production was just amazing! It was such an amazing energy on and off stage and I truly had the best time. I absolutely love being able to get on stage and be able to perform with such talented people, in such a supportive atmosphere. All of the rehearsals were so much fun, and being able to perform on stage with these people again was the best. I really enjoyed the process, from start to finish and being able to develop friendships with people in all different year levels. I was also so honoured to be able to help out some of the younger, less experienced students, and pass on my love for theatre and productions, similar to the experiences I had when I was their age. I'm so grateful for the friendships I have made through production, and for the fact it has given me some of my closest friends, from different year levels. I'm so proud of everyone, and truly can't wait to do it all again next year!!

Zachary YIOLITIS – Principal Role

Year 11

Being a part of Bye Bye Birdie was such an amazingly challenging yet rewarding experience. For a show that doesn't utilise many theatre technologies and big spectacles, we knew from the start that a lot of the magic had to come from us performing on stage, and I think we certainly brought that magic through our shows. Working with a live orchestra to sing golden age musical theatre was also a really good experience to extend ourselves, since many of us were more used to working with more contemporary musical theatre. Every night was filled with so much joy and energy that just exploded on stage, I loved every moment. We really bonded together as a cast and I am endlessly proud of the community that comes together every year through our traditions and shared love for performance. Everything was awesome, can't wait to fly down to Rio again next year!

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