It was an afternoon filled with singing, dancing and laughter during Collège Stonewall Collegiate’s musical theatre performance for South Interlake 55 Plus on Jan. 13.
Sixteen students from Kendra Obach’s musical theatre class put on what Diane Kazmerowich, SI55 program co-ordinator, described as a “showstopping” performance.
“The energy these kids brought was absolutely phenomenal,” Kazmerowich said. “Mrs. Obach and her students put on a true musical for us, and we are so proud of them.”
The students created and performed a 30-minute show featuring songs from multiple eras. They selected the music in October, then spent the following months learning their vocal parts, creating choreography and planning costumes leading up to their first performance.
Obach said students felt “hype,” “excited” and “a little nervous” ahead of the show but were ready to perform for a live audience.
“Seeing the enjoyment of the audience and their reactions, and the community-building with each other and the audience, was a highlight for me,” she said.
She added that she and her students were excited to promote their upcoming school production of Alice by Heart, running March 18–20. The experience also “led to some hope for the future,” as intergenerational connections were formed through the performance.
Students Juliana Windross and Dafne Kaemingk were among those who helped bring the show to life. The duo assisted with choreography and were featured soloists. Both said they loved performing at SI55, with Windross noting, “My favourite part of this event was seeing the joy and laughter from the audience, as well as from my peers.”
For Kaemingk, a highlight was connecting with the community through music.
“Music has a way of bringing people together and lets people know that they are not alone,” she said.
Kazmerowich said the event was extremely well received by seniors, drawing an audience of about 60 guests and even welcoming some first-time attendees to the centre. She added that many audience members had grandchildren performing, which made the moment “that much more special.”
For her, one of the highlights was watching the audience interact with the cast through wide smiles and enthusiastic applause.
“The support the community brought was so great,” she said. “Thank you to Collège Stonewall Collegiate for thinking about us — you truly made our community feel really special.”
