“A Glimpse of Broadway” – A captivating, lion-hearted theatre epic from Trinity College, Kandy

16th February 2023, Kandy: From its inception in 1872, Trinity College Kandy has been no stranger to art and aesthetics and showed a keen interest in drama, music, literature and art. History points out that in its inaugural year, 1872, the school staged its first ever dramatic work: an excerpt from Shakespeare’s ‘The Courtroom Scene’ from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ staged by the aforesaid association as entertainment after the first annual prize-giving ceremony.

On another note, there has also been records of the school staging musicals in the 1940s under the now faded ‘Glee Club’, which firmly places the staging of musicals in the school’s history, maybe paving the way for the present enthusiasm for drama and musicals in the College.

Fast-forwarding from 1872 to a completely changed world of 2022, the year was exceptional for Trinity College as it commemorated its T150 Sesquicentennial Anniversary, celebrating her contribution to the Sri Lankan society, institutional experience, its cherished achievements and the talents of its student community.

‘A Glimpse of Broadway’, choreographed by the Trinity College Drama Society, [DRAMSOC], first staged to a packed audience in Kandy in early January 2023 as a grand finale for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary events, is a celebration of musical theatre, as well as a melodious statement of Trinity’s astonishing creativity.

It is difficult at any time to stage a production that is beloved by everyone to the extent that the audience is word-perfect with every musical number and can spot any mistake or deviation from the original script from the back of the hall: to stage excerpts of three such productions in a single evening is without a doubt a daunting task. But the young student cast of the Drama Society of Trinity College, Kandy, achieved the seemingly impossible: putting on the best-known scenes of the musical productions of The Lion King, Hamilton and The Greatest Showman, in extravagant and original style.

Excerpts from the evergreen Disney masterpiece Lion King is adapted by the cast with a homespun flavour and effortless creativity. Though a Lion King presentation requires a mega production with an extravagant African setting and accompaniments, the Trinity DRAMSOC has cleverly recreated the chosen scenes with a smaller yet at an appealing scale, spirited main characters, energetic supporting casts, colourful costumes, enthralling singing and brilliant home-made props.

Hamilton is set to be a revelation of the adaptability of a group of young thespians. The distinctive rapping style used by Lin Manuel Miranda in the original play is effortlessly delivered by the budding cast, and is as effective as any Shakespearean dialogue. The tough 18th century American freedom fighters’ and founding-fathers’ characters are played by the young Trinitians with verve and panache.

If you are not a fan of fast-paced musical extravaganzas, you are in for a pleasant surprise with The Greatest Showman. The music, choreography, and production elements of this spectacular musical creatively communicates the central themes through the skillful portrayal of the youthful performers of Trinity College. The songs, stagecraft and overall aesthetics blends vintage and new seamlessly – hurtling the 19th century masterpiece into the future of today.

The German philosopher Friedrich Schiller’s 1795 treatise “On the Aesthetic Education of Man [and woman]” in a Series of Letters urged the importance of aesthetic education, as he theorized that it will lead man [and woman] to freedom, because it is not until they are both physically and spiritually free that they can be truly moral.

Given the challenges that these young students will be required to overcome in future, it is heartening to see the emphasis placed by Trinity College, Kandy, on developing aesthetic skills that will hopefully stand them in good stead in time to come, as according to the former US President Barak Obama, “the future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to be creative.”