12 <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 1 <strong>2021</strong> 1 LOWTHER STREET SOCKBURN NOW AT SOCKBURN ROUNDABOUT BLACK EDITION For all your sales, servicing and parts on the Southside of Christchurch. Visit our new site at the Sockburn roundabout SALES SALES SALES SALES Lance 0275 888 278 Blair 021 920 295 Matt 027 532 2757 www.morrisonmitsubishi.co.nz Jason 027 312 6155
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 1 <strong>2021</strong> <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> OUR PEOPLE – CAELAN THOMAS 13 Living the dream of directing music Caelan Thomas of Rolleston is a software developer by day and a musical director by night. The 22-year-old tells reporter Susan Sandys about his fullon schedule and plans to pursue his passion for musical theatre in the United Kingdom How did you get into musical theatre? I was trained as a classical pianist. My mum (Linley Thomas) is a very good piano player, she started teaching me when I was four. When I was about five, I went to another piano teacher. In high school, my music teacher invited me to come out to a small theatre group called the Kirwee Players. They were doing a show called Grease. It was 2<strong>01</strong>5. I wasn’t really sure about musical theatre, I hadn’t really done it before, but I was looking to extend my music. I had found that classical piano wasn’t as fulfilling, because it was a very solo thing. You only perform on your own, you practise on your own, it can be quite isolating. So I really liked the idea of collaboration, and working with the band and with singers. I totally fell in love with musical theatre after that show. What was your role in Grease? Rehearsal pianist. You attend all of the rehearsals and help people learn their parts, you play their melodies and their harmonies. I was also in the orchestra as keyboard one. What happened from there? One thing led to another. I was back the following year and started getting involved with some other local theatre groups, did some shows with the Halswell Drama Group, and then got involved with the <strong>Selwyn</strong> Community Choir where I now share the conducting and piano accompaniment roles with my mum. I’ve been so lucky to have had so many opportunities all around Christchurch. Recently I have had some amazing opportunities. Tell me about those I worked with The Court Theatre last summer, playing the keyboard. I was in the band for Jersey Boys. I really enjoyed the guy who played Frankie Valli, he was wickedly talented. I’m back again this summer, playing Little Shop of Horrors one night a week. Being at The Court Theatre really had an impact on the way I approached the CentreStage Rolleston shows we did this year. They were Chicago, and then more recently the children’s production of Legally Blonde Jr. I was musical director for both. I have been on the committee at CentreStage Rolleston since it started in 2<strong>01</strong>8. This year INSPIRED: CentreStage Rolleston’s Caelan Thomas has musically directed two of the theatre group’s productions this year. PHOTO: SUSAN SANDYS I’m also working on Showbiz Christchurch’s production of Matilda, as the children’s vocal coach. It is basically the musical director for the kids. We are rehearsing three times a week at the moment, and we are going to be on stage at the Isaac Theatre Royal in April next year. How many productions have you been musical director for? I have done one adult show, which was Chicago, and I think I have done six children’s musicals. I also did The Wedding Singer at NASDA, the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts. It was their annual production for the second year students. Tell me about the role of a musical director You work with the cast, and you work with the choreographer. You pull together the band and you make sure that everyone is going to be able to be heard, everything ties together through the music. You are always juggling a lot of balls. What have been the highlights? I really enjoyed doing The Wedding Singer. The people who were studying to do a degree in musical theatre are so passionate, and driven to really hone their craft. That passion and drive, I found really infectious. I equally enjoyed Legally Blonde Jr. I think for a lot of the kids, it was an inspirational thing. I have had a couple of them ask for recommendations for singing teachers and dance schools since the production. It’s been something that has really inspired them to keep going. Because it is such a passion of mine, to see other people latch onto that passion and have those moments themselves, is really rewarding. What was working on Chicago like? It was amazing. We are very thankful that we had a smooth process – Covid was very forgiving through that period earlier this year. It was just bringing together such a great group of people, and the band that I managed to pull together was fabulous. I was really proud of that, it was just a fun show, TALENT: Caelan Thomas started playing piano at the age of four. Right – Thomas conducts the <strong>Selwyn</strong> Community Choir at the Rolleston Anzac service in 2<strong>01</strong>9. overwhelmingly fun. I think we ended up at about 97 per cent (sold out). Do you have a favourite musical? Can I say two? I love The Last Five Years, and Dear Evan Hansen. The songwriters were the same people who did The Greatest Showman and La La Land. Have you worked on either of those two? I haven’t’ yet, but I am booked in to work on The Last Five Years next year. It’s with a Masters student at the University of Canterbury. For her final assessment, she is going to be putting on a production of The Last Five Years. I will be in the orchestra. What do you like about musicals? Musicals just have everything – captivating storyline, inspiring music. I am obsessed with the power of stories. They connect us and heal us, and they promote understanding and forgiveness. And they bring joy. I think musical theatre, as a way of storytelling, is so powerful. And I love the fun of music, I think that is really engaging. Musical theatre is quite a contrast to your day job as a software developer. Do you enjoy being a software developer? Not as much as doing music. I enjoy it, but I do love music. I am working from home at the moment. In level 2, the company I work for has asked us to work from home. Is it quite a gruelling schedule, to have both of those roles? I work nine to five on my software job, and at the moment I have got about six rehearsals a week. So it’s sort of like working two jobs in a way, basically every evening is out for a music rehearsal or a performance. I feel so privileged that I get to spend so much of my life pursuing opportunities that I really love. I think that so many people don’t have that and I really do feel privileged. What led you into software development? I really enjoyed quite nerdy stuff through school. I loved maths and computing and stuff. I sort of came to a crossroads at university. I thought: ‘Do I want to study music, or do I want to study maths?’ I always wanted music to be something I only ever did because I wanted to; I didn’t ever want it to be something where I had to do this job to make money. So I studied a degree in mathematics, and from there was led into a job in software development. But I think it was really nice because I don’t’ ever have to rely on my music to make a living. It means I can pursue opportunities that I really feel passionate about, and that I love, and I can volunteer my time to support CentreStage Rolleston and other places. Has there been stressful moments, for example, any cast members literally breaking a leg? I don’t think there has been anything that’s been really terrible, in Legally Blonde Jr we had one of the girls roll her ankle on the final dress rehearsal. In The Wedding Singer one girl had an issue with one of the tendons in her foot. She had to come on in a moon boot for her role, but she was playing an old lady where she sort of had to hobble on anyway. What are your musical theatre goals? There are a few really cool schools in the UK, which focus on musical direction. They sort of serve as a springboard into the professional scene over there and to the West End and other touring productions. I would love to go over and audition to go into those schools. I am looking in the next year or two for applying and auditioning and spending a year studying over there, and possibly doing some work, I am really looking forward to it. You might end up retiring from software development at an early age? I would love to reach that point, it’s quite hard without a full-time job to make a living out of musical theatre, because each engagement is only a few weeks so trying to line up enough consistent work over the year is really challenging. What would be your ultimate dream job? I think I love the process of pulling together the shows. So I think a role where I could do that full-time whether that is at a tertiary institute or in the professional world, that’s definitely the sort of thing I would love to do.
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