It was a magical evening "under the sea" as Clearspring Middle School (CMS) students took to the stage for their production of The Little Mermaid.
Meredith Hutchinson, the Grade 5 and 6 music teacher at CMS, couldn’t be prouder of her Grade 6 students and their incredible performance.
“There are no words. I am so proud. I think I get the coolest spot in the house because I'm seeing them in January auditioning and then starting on our little rehearsals in our little music room to where we are today. I get to see that growth, no one else gets to see that part. They get to see the final show, which is amazing, but I get to see the whole process and I am honoured to be able to see that.”
Hutchinson says it’s amazing what these young students have been able to accomplish.
“They're 11! They're kids and they're running this whole show. Like we were saying we got stage crew, tech crew, backstage, it’s all student-led, and they pull it together.”
Once the curtain rose and the lights came on, each student brought their own energy and originality to the performance.
“Someone was saying they kept hearing me laughing. Well, they're doing stuff on stage that I didn't even ask them to do, that they're doing for the first time, that to me shows they're so comfortable by now,” Hutchinson says. “They have become the character, and now they are doing things that are just their own creativity and I'm laughing because I'm now a brand-new audience member seeing their funny little additions that they're improving and how cool is that at this age that they're so confident to be able to take their character and run with it.”
The production showcased all the unforgettable music from The Little Mermaid, complete with vibrant costumes, props, and great performances.
“They are doing these iconic pieces, and I think they're pulling it off and we're trying to have fun with it. We're also shoving 100 kids on stage at once and we got beach balls and bubbles and it's so fun. And I think and I hope that we did it justice.”
So many students wanted to be involved that the school put together two full casts. One performed on April 23, the other on April 24.
“That's just a way of trying to share the love a little bit. We got 160 grade sixes and at least 80 of them auditioned for lead roles. Kids want to be on stage, and they crave the arts, and they crave doing something different at school. We try to give as many kids an opportunity and then we all rehearse together all the time. And I think that's cool too. They get to see their counterpart and when they're off stage, they're still hearing their lines and they're watching the cues, and I think it's just a neat partnership to have two casts.”
For Hutchinson, the entire experience has been rewarding.
“I love that this is my job, that I get to do this.”
With files from Corny Rempel