ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY RELEASE:
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
8 Jun 2012
A cast of 5000 performers from 162 Catholic schools across Sydney are in final rehearsals for an original all singing, all dancing production of "Tell Me a Story" at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Set for a six performance-run on 21 and 22 June the show will make history as the largest cast of students ever assembled for one mammoth production.
"It is incredibly exciting to be able to give this kind of opportunity to so many students and for them to have the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience of more than 8000 will be something they will never forget," says one of the show's creative producers, Roger Wise.
In addition to the mammoth cast of primary and secondary school students, at both evening performances the talented youngsters and teenagers will be joined by international recording star and popular performer, Mark Vincent.
Mark was a 15-year-old student at Caringbah's De La Salle College when he won Australia's Got Talent in 2009 and followed that up with the release of his first-ever album, "My Dream: Mio Visione" which went gold just two weeks after it went on sale.
Now 18 years old, Mark's rich deep tenor is thrilling audiences worldwide and he will be a featured performer at both 7.30 pm shows of "Tell Me a Story."
Described by Roger Wise as a "wonderful celebration of the power of story and the different ways people from all ages and cultures have used dance, song and drama to tell stories," the production moves from powerfully dramatic segments such as the plight of the Sudanese fleeing civil war to a familiar fairy story told with a twist. Other segments feature an Indigenous dance ensemble telling the true and historic tale of two young Aboriginal boys who made an amazing journey to Rome in the 1840s from their home in Western Australia.
The ground breaking production features 2000 performers including dancers, the show's leads and specialist cast members, along with a massed choir of 3000, along with 6000 props, more than 4000 metres of material, 2000 costumes backed by a 40 member creative team and 100 logistics staff.
Not since 2005 when the Archdiocese of Sydney's Catholic Education Office (CEO) celebrated 185 years of Catholic education have students at CEO schools been brought together in such a massive production. Each year regional areas of Sydney's Catholic schools get together to put on a specific production such as the Eastern Region's performance of Splash! at the Hordern Pavillion last year which involved 1200 students across 40 of schools.
But "Tell Me a Story" is the first time since "Entertaining Angels," the production created to mark the 185th anniversary of Catholic education in Sydney that students and schools across the city have combined to showcase their talents and skills in the performing arts.
In those seven years however the number of students as well as schools has increased. In 2005, 4000 students from the city's (then) 140 Catholic primary and secondary schools took part against this year's production involving 5000 students and 162 schools.
As with this year's production, Entertaining Angels also had Roger Wise as well as musical director, Stephen "Spud" Murphy at the helm.
A Helpmann award winner, "Spud" Murphy was musical director of the smash hit stage show, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and he and his partner, the Australian Institute of Music's Jennifer Murphy have written the signature tune for "Tell Me a Story."
The song, "We All Have a Story" is a winner and will have audiences humming along.
Tickets are now on sale with performances on each of the two days at 10.30 am, 1 pm and 7.30 pm.
For more information on the show and how to purchase tickets log on to www.ceosyd.catholic.edu.au and follow the link to Tell Me a Story.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
8 Jun 2012
Dancers for "Tell Me a Story" rehearse movementsd
for the Sydney's school musical spectacular
Set for a six performance-run on 21 and 22 June the show will make history as the largest cast of students ever assembled for one mammoth production.
"It is incredibly exciting to be able to give this kind of opportunity to so many students and for them to have the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience of more than 8000 will be something they will never forget," says one of the show's creative producers, Roger Wise.
In addition to the mammoth cast of primary and secondary school students, at both evening performances the talented youngsters and teenagers will be joined by international recording star and popular performer, Mark Vincent.
Former student from de la Salle
College Caringbah, singing
sensation, Mark Vincent
Now 18 years old, Mark's rich deep tenor is thrilling audiences worldwide and he will be a featured performer at both 7.30 pm shows of "Tell Me a Story."
Described by Roger Wise as a "wonderful celebration of the power of story and the different ways people from all ages and cultures have used dance, song and drama to tell stories," the production moves from powerfully dramatic segments such as the plight of the Sudanese fleeing civil war to a familiar fairy story told with a twist. Other segments feature an Indigenous dance ensemble telling the true and historic tale of two young Aboriginal boys who made an amazing journey to Rome in the 1840s from their home in Western Australia.
The ground breaking production features 2000 performers including dancers, the show's leads and specialist cast members, along with a massed choir of 3000, along with 6000 props, more than 4000 metres of material, 2000 costumes backed by a 40 member creative team and 100 logistics staff.
Natalie Samardzic and Monica Morrison from
Freeman Catholic College, Fairfield take a break
from rehearsals
But "Tell Me a Story" is the first time since "Entertaining Angels," the production created to mark the 185th anniversary of Catholic education in Sydney that students and schools across the city have combined to showcase their talents and skills in the performing arts.
Thumbs up from Tenaya Fairclough
from St Therese Saldier Miller Primary
and Alicia Casey from
St Christopher's Holsworthy
As with this year's production, Entertaining Angels also had Roger Wise as well as musical director, Stephen "Spud" Murphy at the helm.
A Helpmann award winner, "Spud" Murphy was musical director of the smash hit stage show, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and he and his partner, the Australian Institute of Music's Jennifer Murphy have written the signature tune for "Tell Me a Story."
The song, "We All Have a Story" is a winner and will have audiences humming along.
Tickets are now on sale with performances on each of the two days at 10.30 am, 1 pm and 7.30 pm.
For more information on the show and how to purchase tickets log on to www.ceosyd.catholic.edu.au and follow the link to Tell Me a Story.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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