If anticipation for opening night is any indicator of a show's success, Blaxland High School's production of Wicked should be a smash hit.
The award-winning Broadway musical will have its official opening on Thursday, May 6 but the season was originally slated to run in November last year - until a little pandemic got in the way.
"It was very up in the air for a while if we could do any of this," said director David Kalman.
But not only did the school make the call to persevere with the production, several students who graduated last year have returned to play key roles.
Hannah Saad is now studying social work at Western Sydney University but is relishing the chance to play the witch Elphaba in her final high school musical - even if it is six months after she finished high school.
"It definitely involves juggling," she said. "I had a moment where I thought, 'How am I going to do this?', but then I thought the memories are something you can't really replace. It's an experience you can't get very often so I thought I'd take the opportunity."
Current Year 11 student Sophie Chapman, who plays the good witch Glinda, agrees.
"This is the stuff you remember from school," she said.
One-hundred-and-fifty students are involved in the musical in roles from lighting to sound, backstage, costuming, design, photography and orchestra - not to mention the cast.
Two casts in fact. Blaxland High School has continued its tradition of having two casts for its musicals, providing a showcase for the depth of talent at the school.
"We have lots of people come from a long way away to to see the shows because of the reputation of the productions.... The community will come to see both casts as well, not just the students they might have a connection with," said Mr Kalman.
Wicked will also be the first musical performed in the school's upgraded performing arts centre after the Parents and Citizen's group secured $200,000 for the works under the state government's My Community Project funding.
The centre now has professional standard lighting, upgraded video and audio technology, a motorised lighting grid, a box office and revamped storage facilities. There have also been upgrades to the change rooms and drama room, as well as improved access for performers during large-scale events like Wicked.
A custom-built Wicked set has been flown in from Western Australia for the production, adding to the sense of anticipation.
Wicked will be performed at Blaxland High School, Coughlan Road, Blaxland from May 6-15. Tickets are available from trybooking.com.
