On the 2nd through to the 6th of May, the annual musical production was held at the Colin Prentice Auditorium. This year, a group of thirty-six (36) students, actors and dancers, performed The Little Mermaid.
The director, Miss Amanda Burnett, led the production as her first project since her return to Macleans College. With Miss Burnett was also Dr Steve Miles, the music director. The two worked laboriously with the cast and crew to create the show over the course of over 10 weeks. The cast and crew involved worked during the term and over the Term 1 break, with the second week of the holidays dedicated to intensive rehearsals.
Songs in the program included well-known tracks such as Part of Your World and Under the Sea. New songs were also featured exclusive to the musical such as She’s in Love, Positoovity, and If Only.
The show was well-received, being the first fully sold-out show before opening night in the recent history of Macleans.
Following the show, the cast reminisced on a short ten weeks together. Many tears were shed after the final performance. Hope Zhang, actress for Flounder, commented on the post-show blues, saying, “After show week, I’m sad. But everytime I see a cast member at school, I get happy.”
Emma Zhou, actress for Flotsam (one of Ursula’s eels), recalled the good times on stage, having done musical productions since 2021. As a Year 13, The Little Mermaid was her final show. She said, “I never anticipated how much impact this musical would have on my life. I have met incredible people I never saw coming and cried the hardest I’ve ever cried.”
While the post-show blues may last for a while after the production, the ensemble cast do agree that they were “glad to be part of that world”.
The production team this year was particularly large considering the scale of the show. Around one hundred (100) students were involved, all ranging from the Backstage, Front of House, Hair and Makeup, and Costume teams.
Congratulations to the cast, the teachers, and students involved in the creation of the production. We look forward to another successful year for musical production at Macleans College.
Macleans College Musical at the Community Carnival.
May 10, 2023
Clarissa Oblefias
