Twin Lakes Secondary School (TLSS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and one way the occasion will be marked is with a special musical production titled Thunder Years.
Christina Bosco, who teaches music at the Orillia high school, says the production running on April 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m., is based on the past 50 years of musical productions put on by the school's students.
“We’ve picked a song, a monologue, or something from the past shows and put them together into one great big show,” she explained.
Bosco says it’s important to do something special to mark the school’s 50th anniversary.
“The school has grown bigger, stronger, and is such a vibrant community of arts and athletics,” she said. “We thought what better way to celebrate that than to show off some of our really talented students?”
Rehearsals for the show have been happening four to five times a week since November. Bosco applauds the nearly 100 production staff team members and the students who are involved in making the performance happen.
“From marketing, publicity, costumes, makeup, hair, it’s always teachers who are volunteering their time to do it,” she said. “They lead a team of students, so usually a quarter of the school is involved in this production in some way.”
The show isn’t just singing and dancing, it also includes the school’s jazz band, which recently received a gold standing and were invited to perform at the Musicfest Nationals competition.
Bosco said she believes attendees of the show will walk away feeling amazed.
“I hope they walk away saying Twin Lakes is incredible,” she said. “I think it’s so good that it’s a production that you would often see beyond a high school stage.”
Adair Wieclawek, a Grade 9 student, who is slated to sing during the performance, says she and her schoolmates have worked “very hard” on the show.
“I feel like it allows students to express themselves, their feelings, and emotions,” she said. “They get to show off all their hard work, how much they’ve been practising, and the progress they’ve made over the year.”
Wieclawek says she is excited for the curtain to rise on performance night.
“I know that my teachers are preparing me very well,” she said. “I have no reason to be nervous.”
The show has something for everyone, Wieclawek says.
“If you go, I guarantee you will have a great time,” she said. “There is such a welcome feeling and so much fun that goes with this performance.”
Faith King, a Grade 11 student, is also singing during the performance.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all our hard work and all the hours we’ve put in" come to frutition, she said. “It’s going to be something that flows really well and shows how much effort we’ve put into this.”
King says she’s enjoyed learning about the performances that took place at her school well before she got there.
“Certain stories that have come out of this have become special to me,” she said. “It’s just been amazing to see how far we’ve come at our school.”
The way the show ties the past into the current day is “special,” King says.
You can purchase your tickets, for $10, in advance by calling the TLSS office during school hours at 705-325-1318. The school is planning to make tickets available at the door, but Bosco believes they will sell out beforehand.
“We’ve already sold 100 tickets and the show is still three weeks away,” she said. “I have a feeling that it’s going to sell out.”
