Behind the scenes: stories of Encore

Encore: the Musical was a tribute to celebrating thirty years of musical theatre at Macleans College.  Over the course of one week, months upon months of effort were showcased in a two-hour long show.

From the 30th of April to the 2nd of May, four performances were shown to a completely sold out audience at the Colin-Prentice auditorium.  The show featured a range of scenes from the rich history of musicals at Macleans.  From Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat–the very first musical production shown at Macleans–to iconic performances such as Copacabana and Les Misérables, it truly was a night to remember for everyone who watched.

Whilst being captivated by the music and dancing, it’s easy to forget just how much work was put in backstage for Encore to come together so seamlessly.  Each and every person involved in the production put in an enormous amount of time, hard work and dedication that deserves to be recognized on a big stage under fluorescent lights.  The behind the scenes has its own story, so come along as we take a glimpse into what the whole crew has to tell.

Interviews:

Dr Miles (director): 

What advice would you give to anyone interested in partaking next year?

There are so many lessons to be learned and personal growth made possible by being involved in projects like this.  I would urge anyone with the slightest of interest (and good work ethic) to put themselves forward for auditions.  You never know what you are capable of until you test yourself.

What was your favourite memory from directing Encore?

Reliving some of the shows that I have spent so much of my life working on and watching new students grow into the characters that were once played by someone else.  It is always a pleasure to see the realisation of a plan also.  Projects like this are at least 6 months in the making – months of work go in before rehearsals even start.  Comparing the outcome to that of the original intentions and decisions made, is always a highlight.

Were there any challenges that you had to overcome? If so, what was the biggest one?

Several challenges for a project like this.  From an artistic perspective, making sure that there is a healthy balance and contrast of material.  It would be very easy to end up with an over representation of big female belt numbers so ensuring a mix of solo’s, ensembles, full company and dance but also with enough musical contrast between each item.  The biggest challenge for me with this sort of project though is having to arrange all of the orchestral materials.  When you license a musical production, you hire all of the orchestral parts and score that go with that show.  When you do a revue, you don’t have that option because you haven’t licensed a single show.  To hire all of the orchestral materials would mean licensing every show individually, so quite literally 22 times the cost!  This took me an average of 8 hours per song, so there was around 175 hours of arranging needed outside of rehearsal time.

Kardia Lee – year 12 (actor):

Do you have any memorable moments from rehearsals or just being on set?

One of the most memorable times during the production is the holiday intensive rehearsals where a lot of progress was made, and it was so encouraging to see the show coming together with our collective effort. The most enjoyable part for me was definitely performing, and getting surprised with something different from the audience every night. Even through the many hours of rehearsal, it was the cast that made it so unforgettable–we all shared an excitement to perform and just have fun on stage after all the hard work we’ve done. 

Any messages you’d like to give to anyone who might be interested in being part of the 2027 musical?

Honestly, just go for it! It’s heaps of fun, and it’s always better to try out for something than to not try at all. I wish I’d auditioned for the musical sooner, so don’t be afraid to try new things:)

Can you describe the casting and rehearsal process?

For auditions this year, we submitted a video recording, however I’m pretty sure they’ve always been in-person auditions. Rehearsals were on Wednesdays and Fridays after school, Saturdays, and also for a week in the term break. Throughout these rehearsals, we learnt the music, worked on staging and choreography, polished, and practised everything all together many, many times. It does sound quite intense but it’s definitely worth the hours!

Daniel Lee – Year 12 (Band):

What was the most rewarding or memorable moment for you?

The most rewarding part HAS to be finally getting to see the show running fully with all the music and effects on stage, after hours and hours of rehearsals and intensives. Because we’re positioned in the pit, we get to see everything happening, even the crowd reactions to each of the songs from the production, which is always super unpredictable but also really cathartic.

How did the band work together with the cast and crew to make sure that everything ran smoothly?

The coordination behind the scenes is super important in musicals – especially in Encore, where songs play one after another almost nonstop. The cast relies a bunch on the band to provide musical cues, and the band relies on cues from the cast (and the coordination of our conductor Dr. Miles) to keep things running smoothly. Sometimes it isn’t always ‘smooth’ and in live performances there will always be a mistake or two – but I think we handled those mistakes pretty well. I remember on opening night, I accidentally skipped over eight entire bars for one song and didn’t notice until we were halfway through… but luckily we recovered.

What piece from Encore do you think was most unique or your favorite and why?

Oh wow, I think I have two favorites. The first has to be Pippin – the sheer energy in that one was an absolute spectacle to witness and play – and the second is definitely Copacabana; a perfect opening and ending to an amazing show.

All in all, I’m super grateful to be part of the band for Encore, and I’ve learnt so much over our numerous rehearsals all the way from early in Term 1 to opening night. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the musical!

Ren – year 13 (Stage Manager):

What was the most stressful part of being backstage?

Whether it was the opening cues to the curtains, timing set changes and changing the cast they all took their part with stressing the crew out but If I had to say the very most stressful part during show week I would say the “mic rush” where all the cast members rushed to the small mic room and frantically ripped out their tapes. Honestly I think my crew and the tech crew did a job well done, the best part would definitely be the warm ‘thank you’s we would get straight after.

Message to anyone interested in this role for the future?

To any of you guys thinking of joining the team I cannot stress enough how much you should.  Even though it does take up all your nights and afternoons, the sacrifices you make are so so so worth it. Backstage for me was the best part of my whole high school career. I always wanted to be those students with like twenty premiere badges or important groups but backstage made me realize high school is not just about that. Just because we don’t get any real special mention or any special badges doesn’t mean you are not appreciated, I promise.

All the best for next year and the years following and I will be watching from afar I promise!

Claire Li – Year 9 (Dancer):

What was your favorite choreography to dance to and why?

This is a really tough question since all the choreographies were amazing but Chicago hot rag is definitely one of my favorites.  I just felt that even though it was one of the shorter dances it was really impactful and it was honestly the best feeling when we had a standing ovation from the audience. The props were really fun and one of my personal favorite parts was the duet near the end.

What was your favorite experience?

It was such a rewarding experience as the whole team saw all the hard work we put in actually come together near the end.  The first time I stepped out onto the stage and felt the limelight on my face it was the most fulfilling feeling, it was like ‘this is the real deal’ and it was just such an amazing experience.

Eva – Year 13 (Tech):

Were there any technical issues that you faced on any of the performance days?

Yes there were technical issues such as the gobo pattern wheel dropping mid show causing a half patterned light/half spotlight. Other than that the show went really well and I had a lot of fun learning from the sound guy and being able to research more into sound in lighting (My research doc is now 40 pages long:0)

What was your favorite experience from being part of the tech crew?

My favorite experience of being part of the tech crew is watching a show grow from rehearsals to show night and seeing the culture of musical first hand. I also find joy in the tech booth banter, jokes on coms while also trying to lock in for fast cues. Tech is a great opportunity for people who love productions but also really like the tech side and how things happen behind the scenes.

And with that, the crew’s memories, excitement and experiences paint an entirely new production in of itself.  From these interviews, it’s clear that Encore was much more than just a performance; it brought people together and formed bonds they can carry with them even after the curtains close. 

Thanks so much to the director, Dr Miles for bringing scenes from past performances back to life–and in such a dazzling, spectacular way.  Thank you to all the students who put tons of effort into making sure everything came together and all the audience members who made it a success.  Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank all the interviewees for giving us an insight on their story!