Ease on Down the Road – and that's just what thousands of musical theatre fans did when they saw the 2011 Musical from Sheldon College and the Australian School of the Arts.

The venue was Redland Performing Arts Centre and a cast of 75 performers, an orchestra of some 30 musicians, and a backstage/audio/film crew of over 30 "tech-sperts" brought the Motown classic "The Wiz" to life in May 2011.

The show was an outstanding success, and represented a new high-water mark in terms of the overall quality of the show and the technical support provided to the performers on stage. Excellent performances were further enhanced by cutting-edge AV projection and computer animation on 3 large screens built into the set. There was also an Australian-first, pioneering usage of electro-luminescent lighting products, provided by the musical partner EL Australia, which were built into a revolutionary, animated Yellow Brick Road. This animated road was able to be sequentially lit and also could pulse in time to the music. The effect for audiences was breathtaking.

The lead characters were supported by a team of skilled backing vocalists and a strong chorus. Choreography was highly detailed across a range of styles and also reflected the 1970's feel of the original production. The orchestra was situated on stage within the set itself – the muso's did a great job playing the complex and funky score. A team of dedicated and generous parents and teachers donated hours of hard work over many months to ensure the costumes were amazing. Most chorus characters had 3 or more costume changes which meant the dressing rooms were very busy. Other generous friends and family members assisted with make-up and hair dressing backstage – their work was superb.

Thanks also to our major sponsor Cosmopolitan Homes, who, like show partner EL Australia, generously assisted in making our dream show become a reality. Arts industry guests were blown away with the standard of the production and were singing the praises of the students, and the entire program at the Australian School of the Arts, for weeks afterwards.

Students across all disciplines of the Arts worked brilliantly together, and will remember this year's musical for years to come. "The Wiz" was, in a word, MAGIC!

Check out our Musical 2011 Blogs below (double click screen to open) and don't forget to look at our amazing photographs in the ASTA Gallery.

Video clips are best viewed in HD!