Theatre & Arts
School edition of the world renowned musical Les Mis at College Sturgeon Heights Collegiate
$1.50
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Kaelyn Middleton
LES MISERABLES
The Creative Process
WINNIPEG - High school, College Sturgeon Heights Collegiate in St. James has been rehearsing for three months in preparation for show week in december. A big undertaking, the directors chose one of the most famous musical of all time - Les Miserables. The students auditioned for roles in June and got to know the musical on their own time over the summer months. Their commitment and long hours of work paid off and made this show a success.
School Edition poster.
Les Miserables: School Edition was adapted for high school students to perform. It is supposed to be just over two hours in length.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE WITH MORE DETAILED VISUALS: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OBxSDpS0GxDsjtp-c6R7H8_c151Ak4Wg1d8j42Y16ow/edit |
Musical theatre is offered as a half-credit course for grades 10-12 at Sturgeon Heights with regular rehearsals on Monday, Friday and Sundays. Music director Avonlea Armstrong works with soloists during the school day on spares.
Set and Costume Design
Jeff Johnson and producer Barbara Engel were the forefront in the visual appeal of the production. Months of thought and work were put into making complex sets to complete the musical. Walls, a bridge, a barricade and a garden were a few of these that were made. Costumes from 19th century France are hard to come by, but Engel did a fantastic job with the help of other schools in the division lending materials. From extravagant wigs and coattails to grungy peasant rags, the costumes were a hit that made the actors shine.
The Barricade: a main part of the show in Act II, built by head set constructor Jeff Johnson.
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Showtime
The shows ran from Nov 30 - Dec 3 at 7 pm with good attendance. None of the four performances sold out, but the audience enthusiasm made up for that. The majority of the cast is additionally involved in choir which contributed to the maturity of sound. Since Les Mis is sung throughout, strong voices are important. The diction was strong and all the words were clear - the small theatre may have helped with this. Les Mis is a musical equipped with emotion, sadness and small amounts of comic relief. The run time was well over two hours and it wasn’t done until 10 pm (with intermission). It was an enjoyable experience paired with the impressive sets and props. The run time was much too long to sit around for a high school production, although it was well done considering this is a high school musical. The audience loved it and so, it was a success.
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