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| Sunday, 12 October 2003 |
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By Farah Macan Markar "...no, I'm no one's wife
Twirl. Swirl. To the front. To the back. Sideways. Cross. The choreographer pipes in the necessary bark, to get the young pups a moving..."Come on, Sway", and the two side entrances are filled with on lookers. It is the students of Stafford International School (SIS) rehearsing, for "Razzle Dazzle" which will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt on October 10, 11 and 12, 2003.
With a cast of 80 guys and gals, from the age of ten to the age of eighteen, 17 year old Shani, 16 year old Shayan and 15 year olds Melanie and Lakmini speak in their old music room, of what goes on behind the stage. So what are practises like? Melanie-"Fun" Er... "Well we've been on the go for three months now. Practising on weekends, after school and early morning on holidays" says Melanie.
"Something that does not often happen in everyday school where everyone minds their Ps and Qs" pipes in Shani. "Here for the show, we are all mixing, getting to know each other, which is great, like one big happy family" says Lakmini. "Yes. That is actually what it's like. One big happy family" agrees Shayan. How have the T's (teachers) been like? "Oooh. Very Supportive"-Mel "Let us watch some of the musicals like Chicago and Fame and Flash Dance in school"-Shani "Bring us food when practises run late"-Shayan What's the best part in rehearsals? "Getting to cut classes, when they have it during school hours"-Lakmini "Yah. Can't wait for those times"-Shayan
"I feel the best part is that it is very fair. Everyone gets some special part"-Mel How do you get started, generally? "The boys go to sleep, straight after school, when practises are to start"-Mel. "We girls are the ones who work hard and have to encourage them to get moving"-Shani. What do you feel about the dances? "The dances are fun as each dance is so different"-Mel "Yah. We have to dance to tunes from the 50's and 60's to Mambo Number Five..."-Lakmini "Which is our favourite number.."-Shayan "We've put our own moves to it"-Shani Basically the choreography is good. We've got two great choreographers who each does their number, but work together in putting everything to one big show"-Mel "You should see the opening dance"-Shani "Yah. It's unusual"-Shayan "Mmm. An African tribal dance, in which the whole cast takes part"-Lakmini What about the costumes? "Some are sexy, others are colourful, the olden day stuff, oldish"-Mel "Each dance has a different set of costumes, set for different eras in time"-Shayan "The broadway musical costumes are pretty much in tune with the originals"-Shani Any last words on each other? "Yah, plenty"-Shayan "Shayan's called a girl"-Mel "Hey don't..."-Shayan "This is cause he once twisted himself around, instead of the girl he was supposed to twist"-Lakmini "He's also acted as Annie, in the past"-Shani "Lakmini and Shani are considered as tomboys, as they are always jumping up and down"-Mel "And Mel" says Shayan "Yes?"-Mel "Mel's the Bomb"-Shayan "What?"-Mel "Yah, totally unpredictable"-Shani Laughing, giggling and screaming at each other, the four cast members finish off their say, and go off for another practise of "Razzle Dazzle". pix by Priyantha Hettige |
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Girls'n boys in short, longs, skinnies, shirts and t-shirts, of various
ages, are tapping their feet and swaying their bodies to the music. A in
and a out. A up and a down.
Choreographed by Yoshita Abeysekera and Kanthi Ranchigoda, with
Soundarie David handling the music, "Razzle Dazzle" sees songs,
dance and music from different periods in time from Frank Sinatra to Mumbo
Number Five, to blockbuster musicals "Annie", Chicago",
"West Side Story", "Fame and Flash Dance" plus many
more.
"It's totally fun cause juniors, seniors, teachers, everyone gets
together" chirps Shayan.
