What goes into creating a Regents musical?
By: Samantha 9.2
“I did a show back when I was in high school,” author Guillermo Diaz stated." It was the first time that I was on stage. I never thought about being an actor before that but after that experience, I knew that it was what I wanted to do.”
Regents Performing Arts, in the last few years, introduced musicals to the school. As well as the Drama and Music departments in the school having a big impact on the shows, Design and Technology (DT) and Art also play a massive role in ensuring that the show seems as professional as possible. The art department primarily helps make costumes and decoration props while DT focuses on making the props and the set. Mr. Ross Gerritsen oversees lots of aspects of the show, from casting, to set design, to orchestration, and much more. He has shared some information about the process of putting on a show.
The audition process, although slightly stressful, is worth it. After interviewing Mr. Gerritsen about the audition process for a musical he said, “When running auditions there are several considerations that the production team need to consider. Firstly, decisions need to be made about cast make-up. This will include how many lead characters there will be, whether there will be one part per actor or whether one actor might play several parts.” Once the audition process starts, the people auditioning for the roles are asked to demonstrate their skills and to see if they are able to meet the requirements for a certain character. These are things like is they are able to sing the songs that the character sings and if they are able to portray the character.
Mr. Gerritsen also shared the following tips on how to become a step closer to getting a role you may want. “Find out about your character and work out how you will be that character,” he said. “This engages the audience and helps them to understand the character.” He also said that it’s a good idea to learn your audition material by heart - don’t read from your script. “You should perform your audition several times before your audition and get feedback from someone or record yourself.” He said adding that this can help you improve your performance in your final audition. Mr. Gerritsen also said to remember that nerves are important in helping you perform to your best; if you’re not nervous, something is wrong! And of course, have fun - you’re doing this to entertain people - they won’t live it if you don’t love it!
Learning lines is an important part of the process of putting on a show. It helps to be more organized so that you can focus on the acting in rehearsals. There are lots of ways that you can learn lines, and everyone has easier ways to learn them. Some people go over and over their lines until they get it, and some will find it easier to learn lines while acting with cast mates. Some take cues from their lines before theirs and others will listen to their lines on a recording until they remember it.
As well as learning lines there are lots of other things to do. One of these things is attending rehearsals. People may be working with the director to plan out what everyone does during a scene from how and where they stand to how they walk and move on stage. Another part of rehearsals is learning the songs, and this can be done in an ensemble, a group, individually, or smaller groups of people. Something else which comes with rehearsals is learning choreography: this is where cast members are normally taught the steps to a dance and song number. Other processes that happen during this time are costume fitting where you try on your costumes and make sure that they are the right size.
The performing nights are highly rewarding. As Mr.Gerritsen stated earlier, nerves are all a part of, not just the audition process, but the entire process of putting together a show. Despite this, being able to go on stage in front of people to show off all your dedication is, as well as a huge achievement, it's gratifying. Being on stage boosts confidence and nothing else in the moment matters. Despite the hot lights and the panting from the songs and dances it really is a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, the original show that was planned for this year, Seussical, was cancelled. Although, later this year, Annie the Musical is planned to take place and there are many ways that you can get involved. If you are interested in the acting or backstage side of putting on a show then please contact Mr Gerritsen, if you are interested in props or decoration then you can contact the DT or art department.
Performing is a way for you to express yourself and get to know new people. It teaches you responsibility and how to bounce back when things go wrong. It teaches you how to work as a team and take instruction and how to listen to what others have to say as well as come up with your own ideas.
Comments