NAMBUCCA Heads High School student Violette Hyland is front and centre as Mary Poppins this week as almost 600 students from 48 schools come together for the first regional staging of the NSW Department of Education’s Combined Schools Musical.
The 15-year-old is leading the cast of Mary Poppins JR, which is being performed at Murwillumbah High School from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 August.
Students from across the Coffs Coast, Nambucca and Bellingen areas are among those taking part, including students from Coffs Harbour High School, Narranga Public School, Glenreagh Public School, William Bayldon Public School, Bellingen Public School and Nambucca Heads High School.
The production, delivered through The Arts Unit, is designed to give regional students access to the kind of large-scale performing arts opportunity more commonly available in metropolitan centres.
Violette said that the experience had been great.
“It means a lot to know that you’ve gotten selected out of what was hopefully a large pool of people,” Violette said.
“It feels really special.”
Violette said that there were not a lot of things for musical theatre aspirants in Nambucca Heads, with her closest avenue being an hour away.
Despite the limited regional opportunities, Violette is an accomplished young vocalist and musical theatre performer whose credits already include performances at the Sydney Opera House, the Compass Music Festival and, earlier this year, a live appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunrise.
Her experience starring as Mary Poppins had offered her the opportunity to adapt to a different style of singing than that to which she was accustomed.
“I’m usually more contemporary, but obviously Mary Poppins is a bit more operatic, so that’s been fun,” Violette said.
She had also relished the chance to spend time with like-minded people who shared her love for musical theatre.
“I know a couple of people who are here as the lead cast. They were like, oh, I’ve never really done musical theatre before, but they just gave it a shot and they really love it,” she said.
Her advice to anyone who heard about the Combined Schools Musical was to give it a try.
“You’ll meet a great bunch of people,” she said.
“We’ve all become like a little family. It’s really great. So, I think if you hear about it, just try out.
“Even if you don’t get a lead role, do the ensemble.
“It’s so much fun.”
The Arts Unit North Coast coordinator Sarah Armour said some schools have been preparing and rehearsing since February with ensemble rehearsals in full swing since the end of Term 2.
“This is the first time the production has been performed regionally through the Combined Schools Musical program with almost 600 students from 48 North Coast schools to hit the stage over the show’s four nights,” Ms Armour said.
“The program is about providing opportunities for students closer to home that they otherwise would not be able to access.
“Some of the schools involved are quite small, so they don’t have the ability to put on a large production like this independently.
“Mary Poppins Jnr is a really special opportunity for the students to be up on the stage in front of any audience who is there to support them, which has been really well received.”
The show promises to be a truly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious performance.
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