Vanier hits the stage with latest musical review

Get ready for a night featuring some of Broadway’s most memorable songs. Vanier Collegiate will present its annual musical on November 20 and 21 at the Mae Wilson Theatre. This year’s show is titled “The Musical Musical II: A Review.” It is a collection of songs gathered from a wide variety of productions. You may be familiar with this concept, as this is the third time that Vanier has presented a musical review. Previously, the school presented Retro-Spectorium back in 2011 and the Musical Musical in 2013. The plan is to alternate these reviews with traditional productions, such as last year’s performance of “Oliver.” “This is our third time doing this. The first one was called Retro-Spectorium, and that is sort of where the idea came from. We took songs from a bunch of musicals that we had done before for the first act and then the second act was songs from musicals that we would like to do but probably never would. They are musicals we can’t do because there is something inappropriate in there that a Catholic high school can’t do — but they still have some great songs,” said director/producer Debbie Burgher. “There is no genre that we are highlighting like in most musical reviews. This is really all over the map.” Burgher and several others sat down to figure out which songs should be featured. On some occasions, the songs helped dictate the plot of the show, while other times the plot dictated the selection of songs. The review allows them to explore themes presented by the different songs. Songs will include numbers from Okalahoma, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as songs from modern musicals like “For the First Time in Forever” from Frozen. The production even includes a song from the New Zealand comedy folk duo Flight of the Conchords. “We realized that it was a great opportunity for kids to do solos. When you do a traditional musical you are stuck with those characters. This is a great opportunity for kids to sing the songs they like,” said Burgher. “It is a great chance for all these kids to have their little moment. Sometimes in a regular play you don’t get that opportunity to give everybody a chance to shine.” Approximately 40 students will make up the cast and crew of the production. Val McWilliams is the musical director; Joan Stumborg heads up set design. It will be a fun evening for all ages. “Everybody can come out and have fun. The older crowd will enjoy some of the classic numbers and the younger crowd will recognize songs from some of the newer musicals. It will be fun for everybody.” Performances start at 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Ticket can be purchased by contacting the Vanier Box Office at 306-693-6744. You can also visit www.vanier.htscd.ca to purchase tickets online. Please note rush seating only.