Breaking Up is Hard to Do. Boonah State High School, Queensland

Breaking Up is Hard to Do. Boonah State High School, Queensland

Boonah High is a rural high school in the heart of the Fassifern, forty minutes from Ipswich, with an enrolment of 620 students from years eight through to twelve. Art and drama are offered in all year levels, with both art and drama offered as Senior Authority subjects. Boonah High has a very successful instrumental music program including a school concert band. “We chose the show, Breaking up is Hard to Do,” says teacher director Roxanne Scott, “because of the music and three strong female roles. The students are really enjoying the music and very excited that they are in the Australasian premiere. The back-up singers are learning to ‘shoo wop’ and ‘do’ with great gusto. We have a cast of over 60 including back stage and crew. “For us it is always about team work. A very strong team of committed staff provide the music, choreography and costumes. Our hospitality and catering students get involved in providing supper while our Manual Arts students are often involved in set construction and prop making. Our art students of course are involved in the design work and painting backdrops and props. This will be our eleventh musical since I took over as director in 1992.”

Photo: Front kneeling Dean Lynch (Del Delmonaco) 
Back Left Jeccica Scheiwe (Esther). Back right Jessica Lutter (Marg).

Originally published in Stage Whispers May / June 2008.