In the movie Ratatouille, during which a rat proves itself as a chef, the dour food critic Anton Ego has a late moment of revelation and becomes the rat’s biggest fan.
Had Ego reviewed NJ Macpherson School’s winter show on Thursday, that epiphany would have come about 25 minutes in, when the on-stage cast – without warning – pelted the audience with (fake) snowballs.
What was already a light, peppy and entertaining production became a genuine crowdpleaser at that moment, rewarding hundreds of students and staff who sank weeks into it.
“There’s all the students performing and then there’s all the parents and guardians that are working – the work bees – got to get them to work building the stage and putting up all the backdrop, the costumes, the props and all that wonderful stuff,” said teacher Sarah Power, who led the show’s creation.
“Then all the staff are helping out where they can and Miss [Elizabeth] Brace, who’s the other music teacher, and myself, we’re getting everyone ready with the music. So it’s a lot of fun but a lot of helping hands.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Power said she hoped parents who came to see the show, titled Whimsical Wintery Wonderland, could “magically see the stage and the performance through a childlike vision.”
“It’s very magical, and it would be wonderful if they could stop being adults just for a moment or two and look at their children performing through childlike eyes.”
Here are our favourite photos from the night.
