BACKThe next edition of Vista will show what happened on the stage in the spotlight, but in this edition, we pay tribute to the people behind the scenes – the unsung heroes – in our massive production of Les Misérables – School Edition.
Putting on such a well-loved and famous musical brings with it all sorts of expectations, logistical and creative challenges. With over 50 students in the cast, 25 in the orchestra, 10 in the stage and tech crew, and 20 staff members, nothing was ever going to be straightforward, and, having staged the full version of the same musical in 2002 to great acclaim there was some pressure to ensure that the 2025 version was at least as good if not better!
This epic project was the focus of our every waking moment from the end of Term 4, 2024 when the cast were auditioned and the orchestra selected. It is one of our most complex and detailed productions to date, with thousands of hours spent on cast and orchestra rehearsals, building bridges and sewers, painting shutters and cobbles, collecting and creating props, sourcing and creating costumes, rigging additional lights, placing countless microphones, putting up posters, pushing ticket sales, and tending to the thousands of details large and small to ensure the production ran smoothly and was of the highest possible standard. Don’t be fooled by the “school edition” tagline – this only means that verses were cut from certain songs to make the running time less than 3 hours!
The Performing Arts Department would like to thank absolutely everyone involved in bringing Les Misérables – School Edition to the stage – and to everyone who came along to watch the shows. Thank you to the caregivers of all the students involved, to our helpers from other departments, and to our own families and spouses who have supported us in this endeavour even though they’ve forgotten what we look like!
It has been a real privilege to take our students on this life-changing musical journey through the streets of Paris. At the time of writing, the Performing Arts staff and students are utterly exhausted but really looking forward to our final week of prep before opening night. We hope you enjoy this selection of behind-the-scenes photos – there will be many more photos in the coming weeks on our Facebook Page Performing Arts at Rangitoto College.
