Without further ado, here are this year’s Musical 2019 top picks from the elementary department – from a very different perspective:
Best in Design: Grade 3 (Coco)
It seems that the teacher who is the adviser for this class gets it all over again. The costumes and the props contributed to the overall ambience of the presentation.
Well actually, it’s not the whole story.
The truth is that the attention to detail and the functionality of the props was so intricate that I really wonder how it would help raise the level of the said production.
As far as I am concerned, it helped set the tempo of the rest of the presentations. In other words, the props did a great job in complimenting the color and vibrancy of Coco.
If I am not mistaken, this is the third time that Grade 3 gets this one.
Best in Technical Application: Grade 2 (When I Grow Up)
Well, guess the teacher who teaches this class gets this for the second time in a row. The detail of the music, sounds, cues and video feed was just amazing to watch.
Technical application is a hard nut to crack, but this play has done it all over again. By using the correct visual scenes to convey mood, When I Grow Up raised the bar once again this year.
Having it as the last presentation was the correct choice once again, as it allowed viewers to have a performance that would allow them to remember the rest of the elementary presentations.
Best in Choreography: Grade 6 (Thneedville)
It was just smooth to watch, from start to end, except for some places where it could have been better. All in all, a performance that showed the talents of the students.
I would like to commend Coquiero’s affinity for performances, though I must say that she could do more than that. Same goes for Khalili, Salvador and Acuna.
Dimakuta was a pleasant surprise.
Summing it up, I think the choreography and the movements were solid enough.
Best Direction of a Musical: Grade 5 (Lean on Me)
I remember the thing that my literature, performing arts and creative writing professors told me in common: Everything used in a play should have a purpose in the grand scheme of things. In addition – the performance should be financially viable.
Lean on Me by this year’s Grade 5 was just pleasant to watch.
By using an old school piano, a less-than-ideal jukebox and a folding chair, it was able to tell its story without the use of deliberately produced props.
I liked the dialogue at the beginning. It created the mood for the rest of the performance. The dialogue was well-executed; the actions well-chosen.
While Thneedville came close to achieving that effect, this number by the Grade 5 just showed how far they’ve advanced in their craft.
By the way, this batch got the Best Choreography nod last year – as well as this year’s
Breakout Performance: Grade 1 (Disney Medley)
It can be argued that Preschool should get this award due to their great rendition of Lion King – or the Grade 4 for their fine and coherent usage of multiple songs in one performance (they were the two-time “winners” for this one).
However, with a stable led by Jamel, Choi and Kilicaslan, I strongly think that the Disney Medley performance should win this year’s Breakout Award. It’s a literal “breaking out of the shell” particularly for Jamel and Choi.
Jamel and Choi surprised the house with their heart-rending actions on the stage this year. Let’s see if they actually bring down the house next year…
This is the end of the “no-kid-gloves” overview of this year’s FIS Elementary Musical 2019!
Stay tuned for my final, personal review!