Harrisdale Senior High’s Musical Theatre Club hit all the right notes during its recent debut performances at the Perth Royal Show.
Student performers got the chance to be in the limelight on the Community Stage alongside 50 other family-friendly musical and dance acts.
As the only high school to grace the stage this year, the kids had to work hard to stand out from the crowd.
With a zeal rarely seen in teenagers, these talented youngsters relished the chance to play to their audience, and give ‘em the ol’ razzle dazzle.
“We were on right after Bluey so there were loads of young kids and their parents in the audience – we got their attention right away by leading with a song from Frozen. BAM – they were hooked,” one student said gleefully.
In a blitz of high notes, modulations, and quick costume changes, they performed 20 different musical theatre and pop music hits over three days of performances, with several students stepping up to slay in solos.
Showgoers were quite literally stopping in their tracks to tune in.
The unique opportunity to perform to an audience outside their school community left the young stars floating on a high, perhaps added to by the buckets of fairy floss and cases of donuts consumed between shows.
And there was no coming back down to Earth for this gifted bunch; no sooner had school resumed than they’d received glowing feedback from the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia.
The society was so impressed by Harrisdale High’s “blend of performance ability, general professionalism, and crowd response” they were singled out for the 2024 Community Stage RASWA Choice Award, which came with a $2000 prize.
“We all just started screaming,” they said.
Dance, drama, and musical theatre teacher Tayla Fordham said she was “beyond proud” of how her students had risen to the challenge of performing in a new setting and nailed it.
“The way they embraced the moment was truly inspiring. Their hard work, dedication, and passion were evident in every performance,” she said.
The industry recognition puts the musical theatre club students in good stead for their upcoming production of Mary Poppins.
“We are sure it will be a highlight,” RASWA said.
And the prize money will be invested back into the musical theatre program to help them bring the house down for years to come.
