On April 19, the Primary School put on a fantastic production of Captain Louie Jr for their annual school musical. The students have been 100% committed since the rehearsals began; on the night of the performance their dedication and energy was on full display! We sat down with Captain Louie himself, Year 5 student Chris Jun Hyun Park, to discuss his role in the performance.

So how did you manage to get the starting role as Captain Louie?Before I got the role, I practised and practised the singing parts. Then there was an audition and I managed to beat everyone. That’s how I got the role of Captain Louie. I was able to get the role because of my singing; my acting wasn’t perfect but the teacher said my singing was the best. I wanted to be Captain Louie because he is the main character and my brother was in the Back to the 80’s Musical, so I wanted to try a musical too.

Were you nervous?When the musical first started I was really nervous, but once it kept going I started to relax more.

How did your parents feel about you staring in the musical?My parents were very proud. My parents always say, “See the world from the top”. That night I saw from the top.

How did you prepare for your role?After I got the role, I prepared by reading the script many times and practising the songs over and over again. Mr Pearton helped me by downloading the songs on a USB for me so I can practise at home. It took about two months to get ready for the musical.

What was the hardest part about performing in this year’s musical?The hardest part of musical was acting, and during one of the songs there was a really high note. It was really hard to sing so high. I think acting was the hardest for me because I know how to sing, but had never really tried to act in front of a crowd before. I had to study and practise to get the acting right.

What was your favourite part about being Captain Louie?The best thing about being in the musical was being the main character. I got to sing a lot of songs and have a lot of solos. It felt good having everyone watch me.

Who is Captain Louie? Do you think you are similar to him?Captain Louie is me. In the story Captain Louie was a boy who came from another city and moved to another neighbourhood and how the other characters welcome him to the neighbourhood. I don’t think that Captain Louie and I are exactly the same, but I moved to China from Korea, and had lots of new friends welcome me here. So I can understand a lot of his feelings about moving to a new place.

The Performing Arts is a central part of our literacy curriculum at YCIS Beijing. Starting in Year 4, students learn the basis of performance in drama class and are given the opportunity to perform in our annual school plays and musicals. Through their studies of the performing arts, students find or reinforce their self-confidence and allow them to gain a deeper understanding of emotion and social interaction through role-play. At YCIS Beijing, we believe that these passive and active skills gained through performance are a fundamental aspect of childhood development, and one that is immensely beneficial both inside and outside the classroom.

We would also like to congratulate Caleb Jackman, Giulia Antonelli, Aliya Drisner, Mia Vachon, Lucia Videl Cano, and Nicole Payne for their wonderful performances as the other main characters. Additionally, the entire ensemble deserves congratulations for their exceptional singing and commitment to putting on such a wonderful show. 

To see more photos from this year’s Primary School musical, visit our Flickr page. To find out about upcoming events happening at YCIS Beijing, click here.