Marymount Secondary School and Marymount Primary School, jointly, held the 2009 Fund-Raising Production, "The King and I" at the MSS Auditorium on the 4th, 5th and 6th of September, 2009.
Students from the primary and secondary schools joined together to perform Rogers & Hammerstein's much-loved musical, The King and I. It tells the touching tale of how a Victorian governess and a Siamese King overcome their differences to develop deep respect and affection for one another.
Below is an article of the production...
A Musical Triumph by Stephanie Lau and Agnes Cheung
What happens when you put students from different levels and backgrounds with different commitments, personalities and talents together? What happens when you throw in Swine Flu, a summer vacation and a postponement? These were the challenges of over 100 students of Marymount Secondary School who joined together with students from Marymount Primary School in staging Rodgers and Hammerstein's well-known musical “The King and I”.
Originally planned for July, the musical, a fundraiser for the government-aided schools, was postponed to September 4th to 6th. Battling the changes this entailed and juggling their various commitments, students of both schools with the guidance of their teachers put together a memorable and spectacular performance that included live music, unforgettable songs and well-choreographed dances.
Music was performed in part by the school orchestra conducted by the music teacher, Ms Jane Lau, while Mr. David Johncock, the school's NET teacher directed. Students from Forms 1 to 7 and Primary 2 to 6 took part as actresses. All the technical work was done by students as well which included the arrangement of props and scenery and sound, costume design and making, makeup research, lighting design and arrangement, as well as other aspects of the performances such as welcoming and serving patrons, guests and visitors.
“There were a lot of challenges to staging it but I was really moved by all the efforts students made to make it work. You could clearly see how momentum built and how students took charge and worked together to make the acting, dancing, music, and the cues for all the changes and different aspects work seamlessly together. I thought everyone was very professional,” said Miss Kitty Ting, the production manager.
“The feeling of accomplishment after working so hard to put together a drama and the rehearsals were certainly worth it!” commented Rachel Ho, a violinist in the school orchestra.
Chloe Cheung, who played the head wife, Lady Thiang, saw the musical as an excellent opportunity to express her passion for singing. “It’s really flattering when people kept praising us for our hard work!” she said.
The audience had a blast watching the performance as well. “The set was amazing and the costumes were fabulous,” said Glycel Nacinopa. Sarah Tai couldn’t agree more. “The Thai accents were just, classic,” she laughed.
It certainly was an unforgettable experience for all who were involved. Or as Sharlene Tai, one of the stage managers, put it: “It was all worth it. The stress, the sleepless nights... etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”
Click on the images below to view the photo galleries of the show...
Photo Galleries
