Our city tykes are all set to showcase a bewildering musical adaptation this Sunday. We speak to young students who are staging The Chosen One adapted from The Book of Exodus and conceptualised by Divyesh Bhandari of Imbroglio Productions. Directed by Anisha Peter, this is a classic tale of two brothers, one born of royal blood and one an orphan with a secret past and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Known for his stellar shows across the world, Divyesh who has been rehearsing with the kids for days together shares, “The whole production along with the singing, dancing and acting was put together in two months. The main challenge was the process of adapting the story from The Book of Exodus. One has to be careful so as to retain the crux of the story and yet bring new elements into the story. In our story, these elements come in through our song and dance sequences so as to highlight the story even more and add colour to the production. We have about 160 students live on stage which include the singers, dancers and actors.”
John Abraham (student) who plays the role of Moses in the production says, “This production has been a great experience for me and I have grown as a performer. The best part was that we were not just aiming to complete the show but were being trained to become performers. The show has been a great learning for life and taught me some unforgettable lessons in team work.”
Look forward to an evening of brilliant song and dance sequences. “There is a choir of 82 singers that stands in a special shape to depict the pyramid of Egypt. The choir is full of energetic movements which add a special flavour to the production. We have also tried to create certain special scenes with dry ice and fire machines to add to the drama of the Egyptian setting. The play has a strong contemporary relevance that invites the people of all generations to have hope and believe in miracles. The story is about undying faith and the fact that ‘When You Believe’, even the most difficult tasks can be achieved. The core of the story is about ‘hope’ and not giving up,” shares Divyesh, on the production that will be staged at the Flack Auditorium to mark 102 years of Clarence High School and is being done in aid of The Clarence Special School.
He says, “It has been a joy to work on a production with such a strong message. One learns so much from kids who have the power to practically teach you how to never give up. The journey of putting up a musical is madness but there is method in our madness that keeps us going.” Mohamed Ali, a sixth standard student who is playing the role of young Ramses adds, “We had fun rehearsing for two months and we practiced very hard.”
The story revolves around Yocheved, a Hebrew mother who places her infant son in a basket and sets him adrift on the River Nile. His sister Miriam follows him along the riverbank to ensure his safety. The basket floats near the royal palace, where it is spotted by the Egyptian Queen. She names the baby- Moses, and adopts him as her own.
