The atmosphere was tense and I could feel the nerves in the air as people began to arrive and gather in the canteen area. I handed out programs and directed people to the sign in table and the snacks. A few friends who would be performing in the musical came up to me occasionally, asking what I was doing there and I could feel the excitement building. Though I could only stay for the first half of the production, originally composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and now recreated by the talent of Langley Park school for girls, I definitely got a good feel of the whole performance.
A few friends and I sat at the side of the stage slightly in front the rest of the audience. The set looked especially creative with authentic road signs placed around the hall and a large chair contrived of newspapers stacked one on top of the other. However, I thought the amazing set wasn’t matched in creativity by the unoriginal formation of the singers. Though the performers were clearly very talented and sang beautifully, I thought that they could have been more interactive and used the space around them rather than standing in the form of a triangle for the first half of singing, which gave it a rather mechanical feel.
After the singing of the first half came the dancing, which I found to be very entertaining. The costumes of the performers were majestic, with people wearing different variations of the same flowy material. The talent was highlighted by the faultless execution of the seemingly complex choreography. The dancing combined with costume and the detailed feline face paint all created a rather intriguing atmosphere as the "cats" pranced around the hall.
Overall the musical showed the great talent, creativity and expertise that Langley has to offer and just reminded me how proud I am to be apart of such an encouraging and supportive school.
By Elizabeth Statham Langley Park School for girls
