Students from the Whittlesea area will take part in the 2025 Victorian State School Spectacular (VSSS) performing in two shows on Saturday, September 13 at 1pm and 6.30pm at John Cain Arena.
This year, 2500 Victorian students from 200 government schools began their seven month creative journey in March, which will culminate in the state’s budding creative talent taking to the stage as circus artists, musicians, singers and dancers as well as students taking on the behind-the-scenes roles in stage management, audio, lighting, vision, costumes, and production.
Students from Lalor Secondary College, Edgars Creek Primary School, Morang South Primary School, and Mill Park Secondary College are just some of the many students taking part as principal vocalists, principal dancers, backing vocalists, and stage managers.
Lalor secondary college’s Amelia has been a part of the spectacular for three years and is in her final year of school as she takes on the role of principal dancer.
”It’s always an amazing experience being part of something so special and I’m excited to learn new skills and techniques from the industry professionals,” she said.
Behind the scenes, fellow student Annalise has also taken part in the VSSS for the past three years and is excited to have another opportunity to be involved this year as rehearsal stage manager.
“The Victorian State School Spectacular would be the highlight production that I’ve been involved in because of the scale of it,” she said.
Mill Park secondary college’s Honey is in year 12 and is taking part as a rehearsal stage manager after being involved in the mass dance with her school in 2019.
She said she’s “excited to navigate the pressure of stage management in order to build my skill in problem solving.”
“I love to hear from professionals about their choice of pathways, combined with their experience backstage when they were my age. I’d love to pursue a career in stage and event management. I found this to be a great path for my journey,” she said.
This year’s 30th anniversary show will include 42 musical items, carefully curated by suggestions from the students, with music from Sheppard, Max Richter, Queen, Gotye, and more. The orchestra will also be playing specially commissioned original music by Kai Chen Lim.
