2003 West Side Story
As a cathedral school where music is celebrated, St Andrew’s has offered musical theatre in many forms over the years. Historically performed in the Chapter House, these shows provided a new experience of theatre for the students. Many Old Andreans have become professional performers appearing in Opera Australia productions travelling throughout the world.
In 1998, St Andrew’s offered Drama as an academic elective for the first time. The attendant increase in curriculum Drama events meant that there was a role for a whole school production that offered an experience to students who may otherwise not aspire to performing or have a curriculum interest in theatre. The commencement of the coeducational Senior College further diversified the quality and enthusiasm of our students for Drama.
The first show in a new era of musical theatre was in 2003 with West Side Story, a brilliant but challenging version of Shakespeare’s love story Romeo and Juliet with the exciting music of Leonard Bernstein. Staged in the now defunct Footbridge Theatre within the University of Sydney, a large cast combined the energetic dance sequences with the gangland rivalry of New York City. Many who saw the production remember it with admiration. The soloists, the choreography, the Jets and Shark choruses and the wonderful orchestra consisting mostly of St Andrew’s students raised the expectations for future productions.
