OBSERVER: State Schools Spectacular
PHOTO: Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Victorian State Schools Spectacular returns in 2025 for two shows on Saturday September 13 at 1pm and 6.30pm at the John Cain Arena.
Since the inaugural VSSS in 1995, Victorian students have had the opportunity to take part in the Spectacular where it has seen talent such as Vanessa Amorosi, Opera Australia soprano Nicole Car, Tina Turner the Musical lead Ruva Ngwenya, The Voice winner Harrison Craig and award-winning music theatre star Max McKenna as all having been a part of the VSSS during their school years.
In 2025, 2500 Victorian students from 200 government schools have begun a seven-month creative journey, which will culminate in the state’s budding creative talent taking to the stage as circus artists, musicians, singers and dancers as well as further students taking on important behind-the-scenes roles in stage management, audio, lighting, vision, costumes, and production.
This year’s show – On Air – is taking flight and soaring high, reaching new stratospheric heights of performance.
The show will explore the element that unifies all of us, and indeed, life on the planet – AIR – every breath, every breeze, every sigh. Following the metaphor of air, through music, dance and performance, the show investigates concepts of facing one’s fears, breathing in one’s self-belief, through to the stories heard on the wind in a children’s lullaby.
The show will begin with a grand celebration of the air with leading Victorian Aerialists literally dancing in the air suspended high above the stage of John Cain Arena.
It will continue through welcoming back the First Nations Ensemble with their new work Cicadas, led by Na Djinang Circus.
The award winning Pese Mai vocalists will also be welcomed back, with songs performed in multiple First Nations languages.
Carefully curated through suggestions from the students, there will be over 42 musical items in this year’s show, featuring music from Sheppard, Max Richter, Queen, Gotye, Ibrahim Maalouf, Sergio Medes, Karl Jenkins, Gloria Estefan, Top-loader, Connor Price and Six60 amongst many others. The orchestra will also be playing specially commissioned original music by Kai Chen Lim.
The 2500 students are made up of Principal Vocalists, Principal Dancers, Backing Vocalists, Victorian State Schools Choir, a 75-piece orchestra, 1200 mass dance students and 1100 in the mass choir.
Participating primary and secondary school students work with industry professionals across several disciplines as part of the preparation and performance of the Spectacular, providing a unique training opportunity for students onstage as well as backstage in areas like stage management, audio, lighting and video.
Presented by the Department of Education, students in the VSSS train and perform under the guidance of industry professionals who make up the Creative Team including Creative Director Neill Gladwin, Musical Director Chong Lim, Dance Director Yvette Lee, Creative Producer Simon K Patterson, Costume Designer Isaac Lummis, and award-winning Lighting Designer Paul Jackson.
Creative Director Neill Gladwin says: “This year our student cast gave us song themes of flying, floating and soaring; music that was truly on air. From these ideas the 2025 Spectacular was born – transcending the terrestrial and embracing the stratosphere.”
Performance Details: Saturday, September 13 at 1pm and 6.30pm
Venue: John Cain Arena
Tickets: Adults $40, Concession $30, Junior (U15) $20 (A $6.90 service fee per transaction applies on all purchases)
Bookings: ticketek.com.au/spectacular
Show Duration: 2 hrs. 45 mins. (Including interval)
Cheryl Threadgold
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Victorian State Schools Spectacular (VSSS) returns in 2025 for two shows on Saturday September 13 at 1.00pm and 6:30pm at the John Cain Arena.
Since the inaugural VSSS in 1995, Victorian students have had the opportunity to take part in the Spectacular where it has seen talent such as Vanessa Amorosi, Opera Australia soprano Nicole Car, Tina Turner the Musical lead Ruva Ngwenya, The Voice winner Harrison Craig and award-winning music theatre star Max McKenna as all having been a part of the VSSS during their school years.
In 2025, 2500 Victorian students from 200 government schools have begun a seven-month creative journey, which will culminate in the state’s budding creative talent taking to the stage as circus artists, musicians, singers and dancers as well as further students taking on important behind-the-scenes roles in stage management, audio, lighting, vision, costumes, and production.
This year’s show – On Air – is taking flight and soaring high, reaching new stratospheric heights of performance. The show will explore the element that unifies all of us, and indeed, life on the planet – AIR – every breath, every breeze, every sigh. Following the metaphor of air, through music, dance and performance, the show investigates concepts of facing one’s fears, breathing in one’s self-belief, through to the stories heard on the wind in a children’s lullaby.
The show will begin with a grand celebration of the air with leading Victorian Aerialists literally dancing in the air suspended high above the stage of John Cain Arena. It will continue through welcoming back the First Nations Ensemble with
their new work ‘Cicadas’, led by Na Djinang Circus. The award winning Pese Mai vocalists will also be welcomed back, with songs performed in multiple First Nations languages.
Carefully curated through suggestions from the students, there will be over 42 musical items in this year’s show, featuring music from Sheppard, Max Richter, Queen, Gotye, Ibrahim Maalouf, Sergio Medes, Karl Jenkins, Gloria Estefan, Top-loader, Connor Price and Six60 amongst many others. The orchestra will also be playing specially commissioned original music by Kai Chen Lim.
The 2500 students are made up of Principal Vocalists, Principal Dancers, Backing Vocalists, Victorian State Schools Choir, a 75-piece orchestra, 1200 mass dance students and 1100 in the mass choir. Participating primary and secondary school students work with
industry professionals across several disciplines as part of the preparation and performance of the Spectacular, providing a unique training opportunity for students onstage as well as backstage in areas like stage management, audio, lighting and video.
Presented by the Department of Education, students in the VSSS train and perform under the guidance of industry professionals who make up the Creative Team including Creative Director Neill Gladwin, Musical Director Chong Lim AM, Dance Director Yvette Lee, Creative Producer Simon K Patterson, Costume Designer Isaac Lummis, and award-winning Lighting Designer Paul Jackson.
Creative Director Neill Gladwin says: “This year our student cast gave us song themes of flying, floating and soaring; music that was truly on air. From these ideas the 2025 Spectacular was born – transcending the terrestrial and embracing the stratosphere.”
Performance Details: Saturday, September 13 at 1pm and 6.30pm
Venue: John Cain Arena
Tickets: Adults $40, Concession $30, Junior (U15) $20 (A $6.90 service fee per transaction applies on all purchases)
Bookings: ticketek.com.au/spectacular
Show Duration: 2 hrs. 45 mins. (Including interval)