“The Wiz”

The National Theatre in St Kilda “rocked” when the De la Salle - Sacrè Coeur production of the much loved story of The Wiz opened last month for four spectacular performances before more than 2,000 people. The Wiz showcased the extraordinary talents of more than 100 students from across years 4 – 12 at both Colleges. The Wiz Artistic Director, Bryan Smith, congratulated the cast and crew of The Wiz for their hard work and dedication to the project since rehearsals started in March.“This is the biggest production we have done to-date.

The National Theatre provided students with a wonderful opportunity to perform before large audiences,” Mr Smith said. “Audiences were thrilled by every aspect of the show, the performances, the singing, the stunning costumes, the choreography and the magic of a live orchestra. De La boys and Sacré Coeur girls made up a cast of brilliant singers, dancers and actors playing parts as varied as scooter riding monkeys to punk munchkins. The Wiz Team was the backbone of the show and their efforts are to be congratulated.” Sarah Louise McLean from Year 8 gave a stellar performance as Dorothy and was complimented by the extraordinary performances of her friends, Year 10 student’s Andrew Lombardo, (Lion) Sam Watkins, (Scarecrow) and Jack Gray (The Wiz) and Year 9 student, Simon Windley (Tin Man). The De La Salle-Sacre Coeur production introduced a fresh quality and identity that is unique to Australia “Educationally, rather than have students regurgitate a Broadway style performance with American characters and accents, this production of ‘The Wiz’ brought the story into our own backyards,” Mr Smith said. A Hills hoist, a community garden, an urban rubbish dump, a zoo and a quirky, corporate world provided the context for the unfolding of our take on ‘The Wiz’.