Inside the gates of Brentwood lies something magical. Walk down the entry way road, and turn right at the sign. You’ll find yourself in a parking lot, on one side will be Crooks Hall, and you may just be tempted by the smell of something delicious, but wait, what is that other building?

It’s the Bunch Center for The Performing Arts, and it’s what will draw you away from the wonderful aromas exuding from the dining hall, for in the Killy Theatre there is magic waiting to happen.
    
Perhaps not quite yet, but in a few short weeks there is the promise of a great show. Les Miserables - School Edition - is coming to Mill Bay, and it is threatening to draw tears from even the coldest hearts. Cast members from last year’s Phantom of the Opera haunt the stage once more, with Davin K (Phantom) as Jean Valjean and Maggie D (Christine) as Eponine. These two names are only a small piece of the talent involved with this year’s project.
    
With the school ski day (a full musical rehearsal day for cast and crew) just passed, the musical has begun to fall into place. Mr. Don Armitage and his technical crew have started the exhausting process of building lighting cues and organizing set pieces, and Mrs. Edna Widenmaier has been working seven days a week since before Christmas, yet the process has, really, only just begun.
    
As principals are becoming more comfortable with their roles, the show has been evolving around them. Uncertain chorus members have also been gaining their footing in the wide world that is Les Miserables. With a great buzz still humming from the success of last year, the pressure for another unforgettable show has been a constant companion.
    
This pressure has not torn the nerves of members to shreds, but has instead pushed these participants to strive for an even more memorable performance, which they are certainly doing.
    
As I stood witness to a gruelingly long rehearsal this past Wednesday, I was forced to acknowledge the fervor with which many cast members have attacked their parts. There was Paige M who had pages full of notes pertaining to her character, or Nick W who has had every line memorized since before Christmas, and the same is to be said of his sister Charlotte W. The dedication this year is unparalleled and I am awestruck with the passion many students can exhibit for the French Revolution.
    
Brentwood students are currently on a midterm break, but upon their return, chaos will ensue in the halls of the Bunch Center: crunch time will have reached the stage. Soon after the students’ return, orchestra rehearsals will begin, and on Tuesday, February 28, the show will commence.
    
Tickets are already flying from the Box Office, with the two final nights sold out, and the rest promising to do the same. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to purchase these passes, or the opportunity may slip right through your fingers. Go to tgb.brentwood.bc.ca for tickets!

Taryn O, Stage Manager, Grade 12