Last night, 4 May, we celebrated the grand opening of the new Performing Arts Centre, St George’s. It was a fantastic night full of festivity and joy, as our School community came together to mark this momentous occasion in St Michael’s history.
Father Kenyon McKie opened the event offering a prayer, with the audience then hearing from Mr Andrew Eddy, Chair of the Board Mr Gerard Houlihan, Head of the School, Mr Tyler Hess, Director of Performing Arts and Mr Ben Moody, past Director of Performing Arts and current Director of Curriculum.
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Guests gathered in McLellan Hall -
Mr Gerard Houlihan addressed the guests
Throughout the evening, our students shone brightly, lighting up the stage with an array of musical and theatrical performances, utilising the next-generation sound system L-ISA, lighting, and a specially sprung floor. Over 120 students performed including the Scholastica Band, New Zealand Tour Choir and the cast and orchestra of the Years 10-12 Musical, The Boy from Oz. The performances were truly inspiring and an incredible display of talent from our students.
Our guests also had the pleasure of being entertained by Old Michaelian Ms Anna O’Byrne (OM 2003) renowned actress and soprano, as well as past parent of the School, Mr Paul Grabowsky, Australian pianist and composer. The audience was clearly moved by these incredible performances, and we are grateful to them for joining us on this special occasion.
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Mr Paul Grabowsky -
Ms Anna O'Byrne (OM 2003)
This project would not have been possible, if not for the many contributions from our generous community. We thank the St Michael’s Board and Board subcommittees, particularly the Facilities Infrastructure and Technology Committee, (past and present members), St Michael’s Project Control Group and St Michael’s Property, Gardening and IT staff.
Our thanks also go to Kneeler Design Architects, SJ Higgins Group, Cerno, Brocor and Phillip Chun who were all instrumental in designing, landscaping, surveying and building this magnificent facility.
Robert Rusev, Bryce Raworth, Entertech, Marshall Day, Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec, Lucid and Urbis, HME, Harwyn, Fortis, Heritage Victoria and City of Port Phillip all played a vital part in the restoration and redevelopment of the site, from the stained-glass windows to the equipment production. These consultants and authorities all contributed valuable information, knowledge and skills that assisted with the completion of this state-of-the-art facility.
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The New Zealand Tour Choir -
Father Kenyon McKie provided a blessing
We are also extremely grateful to our generous donors who helped fund this project. Their contributions will benefit students for generations to come.
- Andrew Eddy
- Houlihan Family
- King Family
- Jones Family
- Lamaro Family
- Mead Family
- Michalina and Michael McKernan
- Mufuka Family
- Parents Community Association
- Professor Phillip Hamilton
- Ros Casey
- Templeton Family
Watch our launch video and learn more about this project.
The opening of the Performing Arts Centre, St George’s, is an exciting first step in a long-term plan to redevelop our campus. We look forward to hosting a myriad of plays, musicals, dance shows and performances in this beautiful space for many years. We can’t wait to welcome you to our Performing Arts Centre, St George’s for our next show.
To find out more about giving to St Michael’s click here.
