Dear members of the Mount Liydale Mercy College community
Welcome to a wicked week or a week of wicked whichever you prefer. The College musical Wicked is well under way with three performances having already taken place and two more shows (Friday and Saturday nights) yet to see the light on the stage in Centennial Hall. If you have been lucky enough to have already seen it, you are to be congratulated for there are limited tickets available for the remaining two shows.
I don’t think it is too much of a secret that I am a huge fan of the College musical and all that is contained within the process. I believe that learnings from such a production are immeasurable and the cross year level friendships that are made, are of huge importance.
Wicked is an extraordinary Broadway musical. The music and lyrics are written by Stephen Schwartz based on the book by Winnie Holzman, which in turn is based on the book by Gregory Maquire. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (published in 1995), is a retelling of the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz (1939).
The musical itself is a great story and tells of the relationships between the witches of the Land of Oz, but this all takes place long before Dorothy entered the plot. It is a lovely story of great fantasy. Wicked is a very successful Broadway production which is only second to The Lion King in total sales revenue. It is something very special and I hope that many of you have had, or will have, the opportunity to see the MLMC's wonderful production.
Having been on leave at the start of term, I feel a little disconnected from this year’s production because I have missed dropping in on rehearsals, set construction and the technical run through that I usually witness on various occasions often after school hours. I have not seen the production as yet, but I look forward to both Friday and Saturday night performances. There are two casts for this production, so I will be going Friday night and Saturday night to ensure I see both casts.
What a talented group of students and staff we have, to be able to produce such a technically challenging musical to such a high standard and with two sets of students in leading roles. Last week I did hear discussion amongst students about whether they were ready which caused me to smile, because this is part of the fantastic learning opportunity that the College musical represents. It does not matter whether they were ready or not. The time line was set and the curtain will go up and they will tread the boards of the stage ready or not. Very few life experiences provide such learning opportunities. There are no extensions, no excuses, and no cancellations. The show must go on.
The cast itself amazes me. Some of the students have been involved in production companies outside of the College for some time, whilst others study Theatre and Drama as a part of their studies. Some of our students want to pursue a life of performance while others do it as an interest. Some students have no history of formal studies in performance at all and yet are involved year after year. The on stage ensemble are ably supported by musicians in the orchestra pit, backstage crew, lighting, sound and a whole array of other technical skills. The program lists companies that support the production as well as past students who have come back each year to continue their involvement.
The College musical is a whole community production and I am grateful for and to all those who participated this year. It is a reflection of our community and it is indeed something in which we can all take pride. To all involved, thank you and break a leg.
As you know the start of this term saw me taking some personal leave and during that period some significant events occurred.
This period saw the College host the Semester Awards ceremonies in which student achievement was celebrated. These ceremonies saw a new format, which I believe, was well received. Again thank you to all involved who worked to ensure their success but particularly to Tanya Hutton who planned the ceremonies and to Louis Papadimitriou who was the acting Principal for the ceremonies during my absence.
Personal pars
The tragic passing of past student Tyson Noyes also happend during this period which had a profound impact on our community and I am grateful for the leadership team at our College who carefully put plans in place to ensure we cared for our students both past and present, as well as our extended community. This too is a clear indication of who we are. We keep Tyson and his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.
Let us also pray for Eileen Poropat, grandmother to Monica Mackiewicz (year 9), who passed away recently. Let us pray for the respose of Eileen's soul and may she rest in peace.
God Bless.
