Performing Arts

St James

Musical Soiree

Another successful Soiree was held last week in the St James school hall.  It was an absolute pleasure to witness the talents of the below listed children and I wish to thank Kate Kennedy - Choir,

Sharon Daffy - Piano and Tearnu Graham - Guitar, for their guidance and encouragement.

Brendan Flanagan

 St James Musical

Monday 18 December & Tuesday 19 December

Any parents who have expertise or interest in assisting with costumes and set building for The Lion King Jnr. to please email Kate at kkennedy@stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au with an indication of your interest and availability.

The Lion King Jnr Auditions went very well last week and I would just like to reiterate what was mentioned in the previous newsletter re the audition process.

Casting a musical for such a large group is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces have to fit together, which may sometimes mean that casting decisions may not always be clear from the outside. Sometimes children with stronger voices may be required as part of the ongoing ensemble singing, or children who can dance well may be needed to feature in various numbers throughout the show. With approximately 90 children to feature, it is important to find each child’s special talent and use that to make the show as a whole a success.

Please encourage your children to recognise this as they approach the audition week, reminding them that everyone is vital to the success of the performance, not only the 10 or so people with dialogue.

It is also important to note that this production is being put on in the context of an educational environment. This means that we are not auditioning the children unseen and only casting from what we see on the day. Consideration will be given to the way students work in class, how they cope under pressure, what growth and development opportunities they may gain from this experience, how cooperative they are and most importantly how well they take instructions and can work as a team.

It is to the children’s benefit, if we, the adults, remember to model the behaviour we hope to see from them. Putting lots of effort into a process that may not result in the outcome we hoped for can be very disappointing. It is however, a perfect opportunity to practice resilience and develop a positive and growth mindset. We must remember to applaud the children for the mere fact that they were brave enough to sing and act in front of their peers on their own, and that they committed to a process which can be challenging and confronting, even for many adults!

It is our endeavour for the entire Year 5 and 6 group to work together and see the value of each member in making this a fantastically fun, challenging and rewarding learning experience.

Finally, we will be announcing the Cast before the end of Term 2.

Kate Kennedy

Performing Arts Teacher