West End expertise fine-tunes Westlake schools musical

Skills shared by international theatre professionals with students cast in the upcoming combined Westlake schools’ musical Into the Woods are ensuring the production is truly something to sing and dance about.

Top-notch choreographer Darren Royston and acclaimed musical director Mark Dorrell – who have both worked on shows in London’s West End – held workshops with the students last month.

Both are friends of Westlake Boys High School head of drama and theatre arts Nick Brown, dating back to his time in the UK theatre scene.

As the show’s producer and director, Brown, who has a PhD in drama, was able to convince his mates, one who was visiting New Zealand and the other who has relocated here, to lend a hand.

“We’ve been really lucky,” he says, explaining that among those Royston has taught dancing skills to are Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

Wellington-based Dorrell, a former head of music at the Royal National Theatre, has also worked with big names, including Hugh Jackman, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judy Dench. He was in town as musical director for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s recent A Night of Sondheim.

A roster of 45 students performers and a crew of 10, drawn roughly equally from both schools, have enjoyed being able to tap into that added expertise, says Brown.

“The kids were really lucky to able to work with people of this calibre.” They were also enjoying the challenges of the musical itself, by a legend of the genre, Stephen Sondheim.

“We’ve done a lot of Sondheim here at Westlake because it’s so complex,” says Brown. Sweeney Todd, staged in 2017, won the school a Showdown Award.

Into the Woods, which debuted in the United States in 1986, is a “mash-up” of traditional fairy tales, Brown says. It has three main characters: the baker, the baker’s wife and the witch.

Their paths cross with other fairytale creatures, including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack, of beanstalk-climbing fame.

A whimsical first half, in which the characters have to overcome challenges, turns into something darker as the story progresses.

Brown says the musical, which won Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book and in recent years, Best Revival, features the trademark beautiful, soaring Sondheim score.

Marshalling students from two schools to work on two annual productions staged midyear is a long-standing practice. Brown is focusing on Into the Woods, while Mary-Jean Milburn from Westlake Girls High School is steering the production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It a week later. “With the music and drama, we collaborate regularly and really successfully,” says Brown. A bevy of awards is testament to the success of the approach.

The two shows have separate casts, re- flecting the popularity of the performing arts among students and eagerness to participate in extra-curricular shows, despite the time commitment.

Into the Woods itself has two casts, with 22 required per show. The back-up of a full understudy cast is a Covid-era precaution, but it also adds to participation rates, with all students guaranteed to appear on at least one of the show’s five nights.

Weekend workshops have been part of their preparation for the production, which was cast late last year. Rehearsals began in earnest in February.

Into the Woods also involves a 28-piece school orchestra. Parents and other supporters pitch in to help backstage.

Brown, who was born in Christchurch but raised in the UK, where he trained in theatre at the Guildford School, acted professionally, including in the West End.

He has also toured in lead roles in pantomime, worked in television and then got into directing. He and his wife chose to return to New Zealand to bring up their family. He has been at Westlake Boys since 2015.

The curriculum offers drama and stage management as options and while the students do not get NCEA credits for participating in the productions they build valuable experience.

For the audience, there is the opportunity to enjoy all their hard work and talent.

• Into the Woods, 18-22 July at Westlake Boys High School auditorium.

Big crowd attracted by schools’ Chinese Night

Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools combined to host their annual Chinese Night last month, drawing an audience of 1400 to enjoy cultural performances. The event raised $1500 for each school and $1000 for the Child Cancer Foundation.

Traditional performances... A Fan Dance and Lion Dance were among other items presented

Westlake singers tune in for top competition

Westlake high schools have again sung their way into the Big Sing Finale, the country’s largest and most prestigious choir competition, after three of their six choirs shone at the regional qualifier.

Voicemale from Westlake Boys High School, Cantare from Westlake Girls and mixed line-up Choralation have been chosen among the nation’s top 24 choirs to compete at the national event to be held at the Auckland Town Hall over 25-27 August.

The same venue was where the 62-strong Voicemale, directed by David Squire, was named best regional boys’ choir last month, for the eighth time in 10 years. Choralation, was named most outstanding choir overall and Cantare recognised as having the best programme for an upper voice choir.

Two Westlake senior music students also gained individual awards from the Choral Federation which runs Big Sing. In its choral composition competition, Matilda Faamausili’s original piece was judged best entry, with Bella Allan-Moetaua’s winning the te reo section.

Westlake Girls head of music Fiona Wilson, who leads both Chorolation and Cantare, says while it is competitive to get into the premier choirs, the girls school prides itself on a programme catering for all of its 150 singers. This includes having one non-auditioned contemporary choir.

“The singers find their tribe in their choir whanau and are invested to work hard to contribute to developing their goals,” says Wilson. As part of this they perform in the community and get the chance to work with top adult choirs, orchestras and North Shore Brass.

The Westlake schools are the only ones from around the country that have more than one choir selected for the national Finale. They have a big reputation to live up to. In 2022, Cantare and Choralation were awarded gold medals and Voicemale a silver, with special awards also going to Cantare for the best performance of choral art music (non New Zealand) and Westlake Boys student William Squire winning a composition award.

This year, the choirs have had plenty of preparation, with a joint public performance at the Westlake Girls High School Events Centre. Choralation performed at St Matthew-in-theCity with the Auckland Chamber Choir and the University of Auckland Orchestra.

Westlake various other choirs also showed their skills at local retirement villages and primary and intermediate schools.

“Local retirement villages look forward to us visiting every year,” said Wilson. Working with primary schools encouraged youngsters on the pathway when they got to secondary level.

Other North Shore choirs that will be represented at the 2023 Finale are Leonessa and Chorale from Takapuna Grammar and Euphony from Kristin School.

Big Sing has been running for more than 30 years. It is held in 10 centres, involving around 8000 students from more than 200 schools. To celebrate the wealth of talent beneath the Finale level, the Choral Federation also runs Cadenza festivals involving 60 choirs, with performances for the upper and lower North Island and the South Island.

Westlake Girls will be represented by its Notta Bella choir at the Upper North Island Cadenza to be held in Rotorua in mid-August. This will also feature Serenata from Rangitoto College.

The Westlake Girls Cigno Voice choir is on the reserve list for Cadenza, along with Rosmini College’s Chamber Choir – further underlining that the North Shore remains in good voice.

Milford / Takapuna Tides