Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. : The wildest show of the year!

ISP’s Main Theatre recently came to life with the production, "Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr.". This successful show was a truly collaborative effort, involving more than 70 students from grades 6-12 and 11 teachers from across the Middle and Upper School.

Students truly embraced their roles , using their creative skills and teamwork to manage complex responsibilities. They handled everything from choreographing numbers to designing sets, props, and costumes , as well as managing stage operations, sound, and lights.

The faculty team guided the students, allowing them to deepen their understanding of theatrical production, discovered new strengths, and learned to appreciate the unique contributions that made the show a collective success.

"Seeing the level of collaboration between students from across the Middle and Upper School was remarkable. The dedication and leadership they showed, from choreography to running the stage, made this collective success possible."
Lynelle Schumacher, MS Drama Teacher (Director)

Costumes and Set

From vision to execution, the costumes for this big production were a huge collaborative project. Actors shared their ideas on mood boards, student designers created original works of wearable art, volunteers lent costume elements, and experienced sewists from Upper School fashion design courses and members of the Middle School sewing club worked hard to put all the elements together.

Dedicated Middle School students spent over two academic quarters building props and finalising set pieces. They also developed a publicity strategy to build excitement for the production.

"Students used their creativity and skill to build props and set pieces with their set-design partners - most importantly, they brought the WILD to life!"
Petr Dimitrov, MS Art Teacher (Props & Publicity)

Choreography

The choreography was primarily done by the students, with EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher Gwen Carpenter helping to coordinate and oversee it. A dedicated Upper School student choreographer brought authenticity to the dances by utilising her knowledge and experience of ethnic dances. A small group of talented sixth graders also created choreography for the show, including the opening number, "It's Showtime".

"This production was a powerful reminder that our students are not just performers; they are innovative choreographers and essential storytellers."
Gwen Carpenter, EAL Teacher (Choreography Coordinator)

Community Support

The success of the two performances was also made possible by the crucial support of parents. Parents volunteered their time to help support students with make-up, hair, costume pieces, snack organisation and donation for the long weekend rehearsals, and supporting their child(ren) throughout the entire process.

"Madagascar- A Musical Adventure was truly a community effort, made possible by the incredible collaboration and dedication of our students, teachers, staff, and parents."
Alyssa Strickland, MS Maths Teacher (Assistant Director)

A Collective Success

The two successful performances of Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr. stand as a brilliant example of the dedication and creativity within the ISP community. This musical was a joyful experience that allowed students to shine, both on and off the stage, proving that when students, teachers, staff, and parents come together, they can truly bring the wild to life!