Last term we said goodbye to the joint St Gregory's and St Patrick's College musical, but on a recent Wednesday afternoon it was time for one last serenade.
Fuelled by snacks and a level of anticipation never before felt in the hallowed halls of the Lavalla room, a rowdy and passionate collection of staff and students from both Colleges joined together for the final encore.
There were audible 'oohs' when the cast were finally able to witness the miracle of the Darling family and Peter Pan's flight to Neverland.
There were cheers and applause when Peter nailed 'I Gotta Crow' and 'Neverland'.
There was a whole group impromptu sing-a-long when the ever-catchy 'I Won't Grow Up' had it's final spin around the dancefloor.
And there was a boisterous cacophony of pirate bellows echoing throughout the empty halls of the College when Hook and his band of scoundrels delivered their final Waltz.
The junior school delighted in seeing themselves as Lost Boy ruffians and stoic Braves, whilst the senior school cast intermittently were moved to standing ovations when their favourites graced the screen.
So now, as we finally draw the curtain on one of the biggest and most elaborately staged musicals we have had at St Greg's, and also the first to feature our wonderful performers from the Junior School, we are left with a bittersweet mix of sadness to see it go, and excitement for the many musicals ahead.
Thank you, once again, to all that poured their time and energy into delivering this epic and timeless classic. From the amazing sets, to the precision stage management, the stunning lighting and sound design, the marketing, the catering, the endless hours of admin, the supervision, the support and to the unbelievably talented cast who have left us humbled and hungry for our next musical adventure, the 2024 musical will be hard to beat.
Thank you and we will see you soon at St Patrick's College, 2025.
Lauren Armbruster (Director), Natasha Patao & Kristy Falas (Production Managers)