On Friday night, pupils, staff, parents and families joined together excitedly for the highly anticipated grand reveal of the next school musical at the Stardust Diner. Held in the OAKS school hall, tables were set up in the classic diner style and the stage was set for a night of entertainment from our very own Performing Arts Department.
Our comperes for the evening, Sam M and Jen R, introduced the first act, my personal favourite of the night, the dapper Jacob B, who performed the comedic Hard to be the Bard from Something Rotten, which turned out to be a brilliant start to the evening.
Following that, Lucy P’s powerful performance of Quiet left the audience even more enthusiastic to see what rolled up next. They certainly weren’t disappointed as Georgia W and Katie D received a “warm” welcome with Love is an Open Door from Frozen, followed by the soaring ballad Evermore from Beauty and the Beast, sung by Finley L. Henry C and Lila N completed this section of Disney classics with the magical I See the Light from Tangled. What a fantastic start to the evening!
The time for food soon came and the team delivered burgers and fries, followed by apple crumble and ice cream. This was swiftly followed by more performances: the sassy Millie C with her fun and funky Burlesque number, Johnnie Rae’s incredibly moving song from Shrek the Musical, and Lila N’s emotional She Used to Be Mine from Waitress. The evening also showcased the performers’ humorous sides, with Darcey B singing about romance troubles in her Kinky Boots rendition of History of the Wrong Guys and real-life sisters Estelle and Elena B’s fun song about sibling troubles, She’s My Sister.
Later, Henry C impressed with his incredible Santa Fe from Newsies, and Esme brought the house down with her energetic and expressive Good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray. As we drew nearer to the end, Johnnie and Finlay returned with Agony, then a firm favourite on my table, Masie M, performed a sweet and heartfelt version of Thank You for the Music from Mamma Mia.
Some of the parents and family members shared their thoughts with me: “I don’t know where they get all this talent from,” said one dad. “Everyone who stood up on that stage tonight was a superstar,” said another mum. Others commented on the production: “I love the way the artists mingle with the audience” and “Every performance felt unique and helped to build the excitement,” said another.
Finally, after the performances were finished and plates cleared away, it was time for the grand finale, the moment we had all been waiting for. Mrs Worthington took to the stage to announce next year’s musical extravaganza. With a countdown and confetti ready to blast, it was finally time to celebrate Les Misérables. Everyone cheered with excitement and were delighted with the choice. The music started up again with the whole team on the dancefloor for the grand finale of Footloose.
Everyone went home smiling, many already thinking about how amazing the show will be and the exciting times ahead!
– George G