After an amazing run of Chicago - Teen Edition, this week our Music students were privileged to work with Des Flanagan who plays Christian in the current Melbourne production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. As exams loom near, the Year 11 Music class is putting their final touches on their selections for their performance assessments. Des visited the class on Tuesday 28 May to work with these students to gain a deeper understanding of their character, their emotions and the various techniques they could use to make their portrayal come to life. We look forward to their finished products next lesson.
Des also visited a Year 7and 12 Music class, where he helped develop stage presence and performance energy. In the Year 7 class, students were guided in their understanding of what an anthem is and how they can present this message to the audience.
Des was able to increase the dramatic elements in the Year 12 performances. In particular, the students gained an understanding of who they are singing/performing to and how they use this to inform their choices. The transformation in tone, colour and stage presence lifted their performances beyond their expectations.
At the end of the day Des ran a workshop with the Year 11 Drama class, looking at how best to connect with a text. He talked about finding context for the script and how to break it up to help the performer connect with the character’s motivation. It was a wonderful workshop and the students gained a lot from Des’ visit.
Jo-Anne Mileto
Instrumental Music Coordinator
