The Phantom of the Opera is coming to London, Ont.
The Grand Theatre announced Monday the High School Project will be performing the renowned musical to celebrate its 25th anniversary this fall.
Production will run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 7 on the Spriet Stage, with two-time HSP director and alumnus Andrew Tribe directing.
“Londoners can expect the essence of what makes Phantom so special, but also with a few new surprises — all dressed in beautiful Grand style and with a youthful vitality that only students can bring,” said Tribe in a prepared statement.
The show will feature approximately 50 students on stage and 20 more behind the scenes in various roles producing the musical. This will be the 39th production the HSP has put on in its 25 years, and may end up being its largest production to date.
“In 1998, a revolutionary, only-of-its-kind program was born right here in London, Ont.: the High School Project,” said Dennis Garnhum, artistic director of the Grand Theatre.
“Its mission was simple, but necessary: ensure young people had access to the liberating and transformative power of the arts.”
Garnhum says the HSP can be a transformative experience not just for the students that take part but for the community at large.
“Many of these students go on to a professional career in the arts and that’s extraordinary,” says Garnhum, adding that the students who enter different professional fields still apply the skills developed during the HSP’s run.
The first production by the HSP in 1998 was West Side Story. Since then, other productions have included Fiddler on the Roof, Grease and Les Misérables School Edition.
The choice of Phantom of the Opera is partly because, aside from Broadway, it is only licensed to high school levels.
“It is simply one of the greatest musicals ever written,” said Garnhum. “And the HSP is one of the greatest projects ever developed. So when I think about that combination, it’s going to be incredibly powerful.”
As part of the HSP, students are mentored by professional artists and coaches in on-stage and off-stage departments. As it begins developing its 25th-anniversary show, Garnhum is optimistic about the future.
“I look forward to attending the 50th anniversary,” said Garnhum. “I know it will endure.”
Registration will open on Feb. 17 for students in London and the surrounding area to audition in April. Before auditions are held, the Grand Theatre will host workshops March 25-26 to help instill comfort and confidence in students both new and familiar with the process.
Auditions for on-stage roles will be held after school on April 12-14, and the weekend of April 15-16. Students interested in an on-stage singing role will be asked to prepare an excerpt from a traditional Broadway song similar in style to The Phantom of the Opera. Ballet and dance calls and invited call-backs will take place April 22-24.
Interviews for backstage roles – which include stage management, props, wardrobe, sound and orchestra – will take place in late April. Rehearsals will begin Aug. 8.
The HSP is open to any high school student in London and the area who will be enrolled in the fall of 2023. Homeschooled students are welcome to audition.