By Jessica Anstice
Students from Players Theatre Company, including nine children living in the Casey area, won a group award for Outstanding Vocals at the 2018 ozTheatrics Junior Theatre Celebration Australia, on October 26 and 27 in Newcastle, NSW.
Casey students included Cooper James, Charlize James, Ebony Portelli, Emily Franklin, Lillyarna Waters, Kaleb Parkinson, Jessie McGuigan, Abbey McGuigan and Georgia Neilson. The director, 17-year-old Victoria Rendall attends St Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield and choreographer Melia Bell teaches drama at Kilberry Valley Primary School.
Junior Theatre Celebrations allow students and teachers representing a diverse number of theatre programs to come together to share their talents and be part of an international community of people who care as much about the art form as they do.
The 20 students, ages nine to 17, presented selections from Seussical JR for educational consultants from iTheatrics in New York and leading musical theatre personalities from Australia, including chief operating officer and director of education and development of Music Theatre International in New York John Prignano and Melbourne opera and musical theatre star David Rogers-Smith.
“I love your musicality in the staging and in the accents. It worked really well for me,” Mr Prignano said after the students performed.
Mr Rogers-Smith added, “Snaps for you! It’s very rare that this happens but I understood the Jungle of Nool. You had such good diction.”
In the lead up to the event, Casey resident Emily Franklin was selected to join various other students from all around Australia to work on a pilot of Sister Act JR. Emily was selected to play Mother Superior and after the presentation Lucy Durack commented on Emily’s performance saying “You’re amazing, and just don’t forget that!”.
