Chicago Razzle Dazzles 'em!

Kristin’s Senior School was proud to be one of the first schools in Australasia to be granted the rights to a newly adapted High School Edition of the musical Chicago, transforming the award-winning production into a show that was more appropriate for a wider audience. With an incredibly talented cohort of students comprising the cast, crew and band, the timing could not have been more perfect to bring Chicago to the Kristin stage.

It is easy to see why Chicago is the longest running American musical in both Broadway and West End history. The deliciously devilish story of aspiring vaudeville stars Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly has ‘razzle dazzled’ audiences around the world since premiering in 1975. Chicago, a satirical musical (crafted by award winning songwriting team Kander and Ebb, and original director and choreographer Bob Fosse) is based on the 1926 play of the same name, penned by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. The play was developed around actual criminals and crime that Watkins reported on – referencing the “celebrity criminals” that were prolific in Chicago’s jazz-age, and the corruption in the administration of criminal justice.

With the show announcement in October 2018, keen students immediately began preparing themselves for an intense audition and call-back process, which culminated in the cast announcement in December. Students worked diligently over the summer break to familiarise themselves with the uplifting score and famous script. Simultaneously, members of the production team began collaborations; designing and visualising how we could transform the Kristin Auditorium into a Vaudeville style theatre in the late 1920s, and how we could cohesively match this with clever and era appropriate costuming.

Rehearsals officially began in Term One, with students instantly diving into the memorable music and challenging choreography. Staging was developed with individual talents in mind – an onstage violin player, circus tricks such as juggling and ribbon work, and characterisations that stayed true to the story but better reflected the unique style of our cast members. Noting how vital the music is to the piece, the decision was made to put the band on stage for the first time in over 10 years. Our band, including Kristin students, staff and community professionals, became part of the visual spectacular on stage, and added to the atmosphere of all the iconic production numbers.

Chicago was seen by over 1,800 audience members across the three-night season and was met with astoundingly positive feedback. Executive Principal, Tim Oughton, wrote this to the cast and crew: “It had all the hallmarks of professionalism and excellence… the guests I had with me were stunned by the quality. Performing arts defines Kristin in many ways – it demonstrates exceptional quality, real commitment and a wonderful sense of togetherness and community”.

Collectively, as a performing arts community, we can be so proud of our 2019 Senior School production – and I wish to thank everybody – students, staff, parents and community members – who contributed to make Chicago another flagship Kristin Production to be remembered for a long time.

- Hamish Mouat Artistic Director of Major Productions

       

Kristin Water Polo Success
Our premier girls water polo team finished their season on a high placing third overall at the NZ Secondary Schools Championships. This made them the top North Harbour school and was just reward for a team that had worked hard all season.  

The girls also placed third in the Auckland Schools Competition. Led by captains Alice Steele and Clodagh Weir and with New Zealand player Lucia Doak in fine form, the girls produced some excellent play during the national finals. Well done team and a huge thanks to Coach Ricky Thomson, Manager Michelle Steele and Head of Water Polo Sherren Findley.

 

Euphony European Tour
After two years of planning and preparation our Year 9-13 choir Euphony embarked on the tour of a lifetime to the land of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and pretzels. Forty-one students and five staff spent 18 spring days in Europe visiting and performing in Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Nuremberg and Munich.  

This amazing tour allowed for endless learning opportunities on both a personal level, and for the choir in their development as an ensemble. The primary focus of the tour was to attend and compete in the highly acclaimed Budapest International Choral Festival and share our music on a global stage.

The festival saw Euphony competing against more than 40 adult and youth choirs from across the world, and we could not have asked for a better outcome. The choir were selected as one of the top six choirs to compete for the overall Grand Prix, they received first place in the ‘Youth Choirs of Equal Voices’ category (choirs up to 30 years of age!), and third place in the ‘Sacred Music’ category, in which they were competing against adult choirs. We are extremely proud of this long-running Kristin ensemble who consistently perform at the highest level. 

Following the festival, the choir continued their tour, performing in churches and palaces across Europe. They wow-ed audiences with both impromptu and formal concerts, also making new friends performing with local choirs. 

This amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the talents and commitment of choir directors David Squire and Gracie Francis, and their manager Mrs Megan Bennett. Congratulations Euphony!

 

Alumni News: Andrew Alder Blasting Off to NASA
Kristin Alumni Andrew Alder (Class of 2012) has secured a highly coveted internship at NASA as one of the recipients of the inaugural New Zealand Space Scholarship! Andrew will be rocketing to Silicon Valley, California in June for a 10 week internship, along with three other New Zealand science stars. 

After graduating from Kirstin, Andrew attended the University of Auckland where he completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours, placing at the top of his graduating class in Mechanical Engineering.  

In 2018 Andrew was awarded the Fulbright Science and Innovation Graduate Award, which enabled him to pursue a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado, in Boulder.

Andrew was selected for the NASA internship from a broad pool of national and international applicants by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and NASA. Congratulations Andrew!  

 


Issue 99 June 2019