Senior Musical Theatre Presents…
Written by Lulu Melotte, Head of SMT
INTO THE WOODS … it was a great challenge and learning experience for me this year, as the senior musical theatre director.
We started in September with a small cast so it was about choosing a show that would work for ten actors without too much doubling up on characters. Therefore, Into The Woods felt ideal as it is an intimate show, just right for a smaller company of actors, many of whom had just started at The Olive Tree and had never performed before.
I also loved the fact that it was darker and more dramatic in its style, a medley of Grimm brothers' fairy tale characters melded together on a quest, with less 'all singing all dancing' than most traditional musicals; it felt like a good alternative to our previous Olive Tree musicals.
Our greatest challenge, like with most musicals, is that we practice initially for a few months with the audio from the original theatrical production or film, but then switch over to instrumental backing tracks. In this case, we used orchestral backing with entirely different timings to the audio tracks, which made the transition extremely tricky. However, the performers worked hard on their listening skills and made this a success.
The musical score is also very different to most 'popular' musicals; Stephen Sondheim's compositions are part of the dialogue that moves the plot along; they are not 'stand alone' musical numbers, but form the narrative itself.
The biggest feat was the prologue in the opening of the show, which is the longest song in musical theatre history, and which introduces the premise of the plot. At fourteen and a half minutes long, it was quite astounding for this particular age group in an amateur production.
The show is a farcical fairy tale and, as the months went by, the young adults understood more and more about comic timing, irony and wit and really came into their own in terms of comic improvisation. By the final productions, any minor error was concealed by their 'off the cuff' decisions, which often made the moment funnier than before!
To perform three two-hour shows over two days requires exceptional commitment. We like to instil in the young actor these high expectations; that they are part of a whole theatrical process from beginning to end, work as a team, learn about the technical and backstage duties, and behave as a professional adult would with their character research, commitment, continual practice and giving their all in the final performance.
The young actors were very successful; the audience laughed and the performances got better and better, adrenaline pumped, their energy and enthusiasm grew with self-assurance, pride and confidence...then they all wanted to do it over and over again. That is always the magical charm that comes from doing theatre.
The next show auditions will be in September 2023. Young adults aged 12-16 years are welcome to sign up now for the senior musical theatre club with Lulu via Jessica@olivetreeschool.cat
We practise every Wednesday from 6-8 pm for six months, culminating in three high-energy performances over one weekend.
What did the cast have to say?
“I loved the independence and trust we had in each other to carry on the show even if we messed up”
“Theatre is a great way to explore the different ways of seeing things I’ve always loved to dance sing an act so if you are into those things it’s the perfect opportunity to express your passions even if you don’t fancy these type of things it’s always a great idea to try something new!”
Want to keep up with our news and shows, follow our Performing Arts on Instagram.