Guys and Dolls

 

It's been a very busy four months since we started auditioning students for Guys and Dolls, and all of that work is coming to fruition tomorrow night when our show opens.  It's entirely cast with Middle Schoolers (Grades 6, 7, and 8) and nearly every one of the 16 or so roles is double-cast, so we have two different casts on alternate nights until we close on Saturday afternoon.

If you haven't seen it already here are some trailers on Instagram.  You don't need to be an Instagram subscriber to watch them....

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

If you are an Instagram subscriber please like and follow the our Sports and Performing Arts Instagram account for updates: 

Since last I posted I had a couple more concerts: an Easter Sunday Mass at the Antwerp Cathedral, and then a Passion concert of all Bach music in Bruges.

 

The last couple of concerts for me before the season closes include the St. Matthew Passion in Brussels on June 7th, followed by the Mozart Requiem in Den Hoorn NL on June 14th.

I have to conduct a performance of the St. John's Choir this Sunday, the day after Guys and Dolls closes, and also set up and perform with my grade nine and ten music classes in their respective rock bands.  Sunday is the St. John's Family Day so it's always good to show the community that, in addition to our musical theatre shows, we also perform other kinds of music.

June 20th is our Classical Recital with an extended choral programme, as well as solo performances from instrumental musicians and private singing students.  I have four of my students performing the Beethoven "Mir ist so wunderbar" quartet from the opera Fidelio, and there are other solos still being prepared.

Finally we have a big blowout on the last monday night of classes, the 23rd of June: our Rock Extravaganza!

You can tell that we're definitely in Belgium and not in Canada, because my big music classroom is turned into a nightclub.  I build a stage, we put up lighting, cafe tables with candles, and set up a cash bar!  It's going to be a great time, and the kids get to rock out.  My grade ten class in particular is excited, because this is the last year that I teach them music; we don't currently offer music as a grade 11/12 class.

I've been teaching at St. John's now for five years, and I've had most of them as students since that first year when they were in grade six.  It's going to be pretty emotional!  This is I think our third or fourth Rock Extravaganza since we resumed doing them, and we also expect to have some grade 11 and 12 self-organised bands, as well as some alumni returning to play, which gives a great sense of musical community and continuity.

Until next time...