Dare to Dream Jr.

Our School’s current season is one of celebration. This is not simply a reflection of Term 4 and its culminating joys of all that has been experienced and achieved as the community strove to thrive in ’25. Our celebrations also include the commemoration of 170 years of Geelong Grammar School, and the associated anniversaries of 125 years of the Old Geelong Grammarians’ Association, as well as 50 years of co-education at our Timbertop campus. Each number of years acknowledges significant periods of time, and speaks to the symbolism of our iconic light blue: our influence in Australian education is long-standing and enduring. We are privileged to hold such a sustained influence, and in doing so, honour dearly the trust families place in us to enable wisdom through transformational learning opportunities.

Our Middle School musical is one such opportunity. Released in 2025 and celebrating 100 years of Disney, Dare to Dream Jr. is in perfect alignment with our season of anniversaries! As ever, I applaud our students’ courage in the creative pursuits. Such work demands exceptional commitment, especially within the context of an ensemble show. Without specific lead characters, our students more acutely experience how to collaborate meaningfully and develop critical skills for the stage and, indeed, life: active listening, being dependable, and the importance of timing to name a few of the transferrable capabilities. Perhaps the greatest learning comes from believing in yourself and in others; through this, there will no doubt be beautiful friendships formed and in decades hence no doubt reflected upon: “Remember Dare to Dream Jr. in Middle School?”

Fittingly, just like the musical’s title, Geelong Grammar School will continue to dare to dream… with the inspiration of our students and colleagues showcased in this production, it is a moral imperative to do so.

Rebecca Cody

Oh boy! I’m absolutely delighted to be directing my first Middle School Musical at Geelong Grammar alongside the wonderful Katherine Barton! Like any great adventure, we’ve faced our fair share of trials: rehearsing two separate casts (one compulsory, one volunteer), at different times of the day, and never in the same room. But with a bit of faith, trust, and pixie dust, and the incredible support of our Fairy Godmother, Esther McRae – we’ve managed to bring the magic together into one seamless production.

Dare to Dream Jr. is a brand-new celebration of 100 years of Disney storytelling, and we’ve truly ‘gone the distance’ to honour that legacy through our set, performance energy, and vibrant costuming. There’s no bones about it – this is a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed show, a far cry from the Little Shop of Horrors darkness! It’s an opportunity for dozens of cast members to ‘be our guest’ in developing their skills, shining in ensemble numbers, and stepping into solos, duets, and small group moments that sparkle with personality.

This show is a ‘whole new world’ of ensemble storytelling, where our featured cast never leaves the stage, a challenge they tackled with courage and creativity. The musical radiates the spirit of Disney: hope, resilience, positivity, and kindness. That constant, ‘out-there’ and proud energy can be tricky to navigate without tipping into the sugar-rush zone, but our hard working cast found just the right balance. a spoonful of sugar with plenty of nuance and heart. It’s been such a joy working on these scenes and songs with our dream team, experimenting with the space in new ways and finding ways to explore space on and around the bleachers.

Thank you for supporting the arts, we ‘just can’t wait to be kings’ (and queens) of the stage. Remember the magic, and let your imagination ‘go the distance’ with us tonight. After all, it all started with a mouse.

Nick Waxman and Katherine Barton

Disney’s musical legacy is built on unforgettable melodies, rich harmonies and emotionally driven storytelling, and Dare to Dream Jr. is no exception. This revue brings together iconic songs from Disney’s long animated history, each with its own distinct style, vocal demands and dramatic flair. 

From powerful ballads like Let It Go and Part of Your World to high-energy ensemble numbers such as Be Our Guest, Friend Like Me and I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, the show has challenged students to expand their vocal technique and versatility, navigating a diverse array of musical styles with confidence and expression.  

One of the most rewarding aspects of this revue has been exploring the essence of the “Disney sound” with our young performers – a unique blend of vocal clarity, emotional warmth and theatrical flair. It’s a sound that invites audiences into each character’s journey, making every song feel deeply personal yet universally relatable. With so many songs, the cast have learned how musical arrangements come to life through layered parts, canons and vocal interjections, discovering the joy of blending their voices to create those rich “Disney” harmonies that lift each number off the page.  

Creating these iconic moments on stage has been a collaborative process. Our cast has embraced the challenge of honouring beloved originals while bringing their own voices and interpretations to the more modern inclusions. Whether it’s a solo that captures a character’s inner journey or a full-cast number that fills the stage with energy and joy, each musical moment is crafted to connect with audiences of all ages.  

It’s been an absolute joy to work with the 2025 cast of Dare to Dream Jr. We hope the songs stay with you long after the curtain falls. 

Ari Farrar, Eliza Bennetts O’Connor, Anna Williams

How do you create the ‘happiest place on earth’? Disney means something different to everybody, but one thing that seems to be inevitably linked is the term nostalgia. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say everyone grew-up with Disney or was influenced by it at some point in their life. For me, Disney was an amazing group of creative people bringing ideas to life; it is the ultimate artist studio and design centre. Just like one of his animated stories, Walt Disney created and brought to life the concept of the “Imagineers” – a creative group of people that would reach for the stars in order to manifest dreams into reality. It all started way back in 1928 with Walt pushing the art of animation; his pen and ink drawings generating happiness, joy and drama as he entertained the world through the creation of animal characters. Walt realised that by bringing creative people with different backgrounds together, they would complement each other and they would produce better ideas because of it! The undeniable talents of the Imagineers have created and pioneered the art of storytelling, from the humble days of short black-and-white silent animation to feature-length movie spectaculars. The premise of this set for Dare to Dream Jr. is to incorporate Disney characters throughout the ages; the images are based on animation cels, reflecting the interior of the artist studio.

The joy of working on Disney shows gives me a sense of what it was like to be an Imagineer and use the same process to push boundaries creatively, turning a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional reality. I have spent my life creating, from endlessly drawing, painting people and landscapes, to designing and building theatre sets, but, no matter what I did the same principle always applied; the artist who dreams, experiments, has their failures and successes but somehow never gives up trying will achieve their goals.

When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are. All you have to do…is dare to dream!

Steve Annis

What a joy it has been to choreograph Dare to Dream Jr. with this wonderful group of young people.

The movement in our production is inspired by the bold theatrical style of the classic animated Disney movies, particularly those produced during Disney’s 1990s ‘renaissance’, as well as the vibrancy and playfulness that is intrinsic to this age group of performers.

In developing the larger-than-life theatrical style of Dare to Dream Jr., we used acting energy and intentions to inform and interpret the choreography – playful, proud, cheeky, exciting, brave, optimistic, hopeful.

We worked together to find clear and dynamic shapes, while connecting movement to lyric and meaning to enhance our storytelling.

I’m thrilled by the willingness and tenacity with which these students have embraced learning the choreography, bringing energy and enthusiasm while singing and acting too – a rewarding exercise in multitasking!

Thank you to the whole cast and fantastic creative team for a delightful process. 

It’s been a privilege to watch these students work hard to build performance skills and bring this show to life.

We hope our audience enjoys it as much as we do!

Emma Waxman