WAB's Elementary Musical Is Almost Here, Don't Miss It! 

This year's ES Musical “Press Start!” takes us into the 8-bit land of video games, where heroes, villains, and sidekicks have all been knocked out of play. Their only way back into their games? Put on a show and collect enough gold coins to power their return, from the audience, and from around the world. 

At the center of it all is Little Mushroom, a sidekick who is underestimated, overlooked, and told to stay in her lane. The heroes have all the spotlight; the sidekicks are there to support, not to shine, but not Little Mushroom. "The core message of the show is about being inclusive," ES Musical supervisor Jake Long explains. "It's about not putting people in boxes: “You're a sidekick, you need to do this, you're not allowed to be a hero.” Little Mushroom needs to push back on that and rise up and show herself to be a hero too." At WAB, we look for productions that reflect our values, and a story about inclusion, belonging, and the courage to step into your own potential felt like a natural fit. 

This production has been in the making since the start of ASA Season 2. Close to 40 students make up the performing group, rehearsing every Thursday, learning songs, honing their characters, and finding their place in the story. A second group of students, working through the Props & Sets ASA led by Visual Arts teachers Anna Tian and Hannah Farrell, have been building and designing the show's entire physical world. Nearly every set piece and costume element you'll see on stage was made by WAB students. 

Our young performers have been building many skills through their rehearsals. On the performance side: projecting their voice, embodying a character, learning to move with intention and energy. Beyond the stage: teamwork, focus, the ability to take feedback, and the confidence to give it. And sometimes, students take the initiative to challenge themselves in unexpected ways. Jake recalls when a group of Grade 5 students felt the choreography for one number wasn't quite right in recent rehearsals; they stepped up to redo it themselves. "Honestly? It was a great improvement." This confidence to speak up, take ownership, and follow through is what we hope WAB nurtures in all our students through these opportunities. 

Jake emphasized: "Creativity is what we create. It's writing, problem-solving, engineering new ways of thinking. Performing arts is a deeply creative process, where you're in a scene and adjusting on the fly, creating something in the moment." We look forward to inviting fellow students and parents in June to see Little Mushroom save the day!