School principal Tom Weindl called it a “music and dance extravaganza” which they did for the first time in their 20 years of performing for members of the community.
In the past, their performances were based on book stories brought to life on stage while teaching students valuable lessons.
The idea of putting together ordinary events in school and the community and turning them into a musical came from the students themselves, Weindl said.
The students came up with the music they wanted to use and dances that they choreographed themselves.
“We met a number of months ago to talk about how the program is going to be. And it just sort of evolved that way,” Weindl said.
The opening scene involved Weindl and the faculty members portraying what they usually do in real life.
Weindl stands next to the air-con with a notebook in hand, Auntie Jen holds a coffee pot, Uncle Greg is having a snack while working on his laptop. He likes to break the news about what is happening somewhere.
Auntie Brenda always has a list of things to do while Auntie Becca has forgotten something in the car.
The school’s teachers are called “auntie” or “uncle” by students.
Auntie Jen’s final line about her motivational cards is the introduction for the kindergarten and grade 1 students’ song and dance number.
The scene then returns to Uncle Greg who is talking about the sports about which the students are obsessed.
This is the cue for the fourth and fifth graders students who enter the stage to the tune of “Eye of the Tiger” as if they just came from the track and field, swimming, soccer and volleyball events.
When Auntie Brenda says that the Managaha trip went really well this year, the second and third grade students will come in for their dance number followed by the fourth and fifth graders stick dance.
Auntie Becca says she loved the kung fu school they visited in China.
This is the cue for the kindergarten and first grade students to return to the stage and dance to the tune of “Kung Fu Fighting.”
The family day at the Pacific Island Club is also recalled with second and third graders dancing and singing “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
With Cody Race as host, Miguel Dandan as technical director, the students also performed a sketch a la “American Idol.”
Victoria Chentsova, Nicole Arenovski and Minori Yoshida portrayed the judges.
“They did a wonderful job,” Weindl said.
Yesterday morning, as in the previous years, the manamko’ were the special audience of the students.
“They love coming to our program. They always look forward to seeing the show and they are a delightful audience,” Weindl said.
“We always perform for them first,” he said.
“It’s really such a good way for us to show respect and gratitude to the eldest of the community for what they contributed to the community over the years,” Weindl said.
In the evening, the students performed for their parents and friends.
Cody Race who was the host of the show, thinks this year’s program was easier and so much fun.
Miguel Dandan said it was “kind of hard being the DJ because you have to know a lot of things. Like the technical stuff, there are more things to know.”
Memorizing lines, he said, is a lot easier.
“But the good thing about this show is that I don’t have to say any lines,” he added.
