More than 100 Moama Anglican Grammar students took centre stage and worked behind the scenes to bring Mary Poppins Jr. to life at the Echuca Paramount on August 7 and 8.
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The production was the culmination of five months of rehearsals, with students learning lines, choreography and harmonies while developing their confidence and working together as a team.
The production involved 65 students on stage, nine in the show band and another 28 working behind the scenes across technical production, backstage, front of house, hair and makeup and other roles.
For many students, it was their first experience performing on such a large stage, while others used the production as an opportunity to take on greater responsibility and challenge themselves in new ways.
Director, production manager and musical director Fiona Gibbs said seeing the students develop throughout the five-month journey had been one of the most rewarding aspects of the production.
“The performances themselves were incredibly special, but what has meant the most to me has been seeing the growth in the students throughout the journey,” Mrs Gibbs said.
“You see students arrive at the beginning of rehearsals feeling nervous or unsure, and then gradually watch them find their place, support one another and realise that they are capable of so much more than they may have initially believed.”
That growth was also noticed by families, with one parent saying she and her husband were “so surprised and proud” of their daughter’s performance and had not realised what she was capable of before seeing her on stage.
A primary student involved in the ensemble described taking part as a “lifetime experience” and said she hoped the school would stage another production next year.
Mrs Gibbs said school musical theatre provided benefits that extended well beyond singing, dancing and acting.
“A production like this gives students opportunities to be part of something bigger than themselves,” she said.
“They learn to work as a team, to take responsibility, to trust one another and to keep going when something doesn’t go to plan.
“Not every student involved will go on to become a performer, but the confidence and skills they develop through an experience like this can stay with them long after the costumes have been packed away.”
The students’ talents were not limited to the stage.
A nine-piece student show band entertained audiences before each performance with a specially curated selection of musical theatre pieces, while 28 students contributed to backstage and production roles.
Students were supported by a core production team, consisting of choreographer and backstage manager Phoebe Barnes, band director and stage manager Michael Hearn, technical director Danny Hindson and acting coach and props co-ordinator Megan McMaster.
Staff, families, volunteers and the Echuca Paramount team also contributed across costumes, sets, props, technical production, front of house, hair and makeup.
Mary Poppins Jr. marked a personal milestone for Mrs Gibbs as her return to directing a school musical and was the largest production she had undertaken at Moama Anglican Grammar.
She said creating a supportive environment where students felt comfortable taking risks was an important part of the production.
“Musical theatre can be quite vulnerable. You are asking students to sing, dance, act and put themselves in front of an audience,” she said.
“But when you create an environment where they feel supported by the people around them, it is incredible to watch what they can achieve.”
After five months of work, the students finally had the opportunity to share the colourful production and its familiar songs and characters with audiences across two nights.
While the curtain has now fallen on Mary Poppins Jr., Mrs Gibbs said the confidence, friendships and skills students developed along the way could remain with them long after the production.
For some, the experience may inspire another audition or a greater interest in music and theatre, while for others it provided an opportunity to discover what they could achieve by stepping outside their comfort zone.