The Great Immensity follows a woman named Phyllis who sets out to find her husband, a documentary filmmaker that has gone missing while on assignment. She crosses continents in search of him and uncovers a mysterious plot along the way. The drama department at GHS used to put on a musical every other year, but due to COVID disruptions, there hasn’t been one since 2018. Now, musicals will return to the school with pay-what-you-can performances of The Great Immensity at 6 p.m. on June 8 and 3 p.m. on June 10. Drama teacher Earl Sacrey first came across the show during the closures and downtime caused by the pandemic.

“I was really moved by it and I fell in love with it, just as a fan,” Sacrey said. “Then when it came time to sort of get our school year up and running and pick some projects, I looked at the crew of interested students I had, and I thought, ‘Actually, this would be a good fit.’”

The musical has the right number of cast members and the right tone to fit the students’ abilities, he said, along with having an important message. It gives them a chance to work with issues-based material that highlights the impacts of climate change while still depicting some goofy, light-hearted moments.

The Great Immensity also presents an opportunity for the cast and crew to work on a more tech-forward show. The increased use of technology in creating the multimedia experience means there are new problems to solve, Sacrey said, but it’s also been an entertaining exercise for the students.

“One sequence, for example, has a singing shark in it, so we had to figure out a program that could map someone’s face onto a cartoon shark and film and record all that,” he said. “There’s been a lot of tech learning and just a lot of fun with some of the different effects that we can play with.”

The cast and crew have been working on the musical all semester, meeting a few nights a week after school to rehearse and run songs. In addition to being a fun extracurricular for drama lovers, the show has been a great chance to create new friendships and renew others while making something great, he said.

With less than a week left until they take the stage, nerves are running high. They still need to build a few set pieces, lock in their lines and smooth out the tech side of the production, but Sacrey said he knows stress will turn into excitement as they near their performances.

The Great Immensity first appeared on stage in 2010, so it’s a newer show that isn’t performed often. On top of seeing something unique, Sacrey encourages people to see the show to benefit from the energy and enthusiasm of the students.

“It’s material that not very many people have seen before, so that’s kind of exciting,” he said. “If you don’t come to school theatre a lot, and you don’t even know any teenagers, I think it’s easy to forget how [exciting] things get and how passionate they are. From my perspective, at least, it’s a real panacea to just be in a room with them all the time.”

Grade 11 student Oliver Gonneau plays the elusive filmmaker Karl in the upcoming show. Though he’s been involved in theatre for years, this is his first school production.

“The best part has definitely been some of the other cast members and some of the other people there,” Gonneau said. “It’s been a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests as me, and it’s quite the talented cast, in my opinion. It’s been a lot of fun to learn from them and all put on a great show together.”

The musical is bigger and more formal than the student productions he’s been a part of in the past. Credit for the professional nature of the show goes largely to the excellent direction of Sacrey, Gonneau said. 

Practicing the songs, especially the ones that include more cast members, has been one of his favourite memories so far. Preparing for next week’s performances has been a lot of fun as well as a lot of work, so he’s excited to show people what the cast and crew have been up to.

“I would encourage them to come out and just to see what it is that a bunch of high school students can do, what kind of show they can perform for you,” he said. “Not just to make you laugh, to make you smile, but also to make you think, to take a current issue and put it in a form of theatre that’s both easy to understand but also leaves you thinking.”

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The musical comedy features the story of young dark Wednesday Addams, who has fallen in love with a sweet man. She confides in her father and asks him to keep the secret from her mother. Everything will change when the family hosts a dinner party for the boyfriend’s family.

Overall, roughly 50 students took part in the production, taking on various roles, including acting, stage crew, set designers, and musicians. Over the course of the four days, the crew performed for over 2,000 community members.

“The performance was very well received with standing ovations!” said producer and HHS teacher, Ian McTavish.

Funds raised from the production will go towards the school’s Leadership in the Arts Scholarship, which is given out at graduation each year.

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Actors, musicians and theatre audiences will be delighted to learn that a wonderful tradition of live theatre is returning to the Bracebridge stage. After being paused due to COVID-19, the Rotary Club of Bracebridge is very pleased to announce that it is resuming its long tradition of annual musicals with the beloved classic The Sound of Music. This important community service project kicks off with auditions on Oct. 1 and 2 at the Rotary Centre for Youth at 131 Wellington Street in Bracebridge. There are four audition times, starting both Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Auditions will consist of a singing and dance call, and some performers may be asked to read lines from the script. Applicants are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start times. They must come prepared to sign a song of their choosing, and they should bring their own recorded accompaniment. The song should preferably be from a musical, although it does not have to be from this show. A simple dance will be taught and then performed by the group.

There are a large variety of roles for both leads and chorus, which are available for children (age eight and up) and adults of all ages. Those familiar with the Oscar-winning movie will know that there are three principal adult female roles (Maria, the Baroness and Mother Superior), two principal male adult leads (Captain von Trapp and Max), two principal young adult/adolescent roles (Liesl and Rolf) and six other von Trapp children. There are also many adult chorus roles, several with speaking parts.

The many talented actors, dancers and singers in Muskoka are all encouraged to try out! Those chosen will, as always, have lots of fun in the process of creation. Rotary musicals have always boasted a mix of experienced veteran actors and brand-new performers, and this show will be no exception. It is a great opportunity to build new friendships and share in the joy of making theatre magic. The product of those labours will be a dramatic show, studded with music that is now loved by many generations. The Sound of Music is a perfect way to celebrate the return of Rotary’s theatre tradition to our community.

Rehearsals for the production will begin in November and will be held at least twice a week. The musical will run for seven performances at the Rene Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge from Feb. 23 to March 4, 2023. Those who accept a role do need to commit for the entire winter but will find spending the time well worth it for the rewards of fellowship and creative energy that the experience brings.

The production will be led by Director Emma Phillips, Assistance Director Earl Sacrey, Musical Director Neil Barlow, Choral Director Fran Harvey and Technical Director Michelle Emson. Volunteers who wish to help with production tasks or backstage as also most welcome.

For more information, please contact Jean Polak from the Rotary Club of Bracebridge at bracebridgerotarymusical@gmail.com.

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