Save yourself up to 100 hours* and find out why over 1200 schools have booked a Bushwahzee one day production! Choose from The Bush Cabaret, The Sixties Happening, The Country Show, Bushwahzee’s new Surf Show and The Bush Xmas.

*Estimate of 100 hours  (at least) provided by Gerry Fitzgerald, a teacher at Antonio Park Primary. She compared the time she spent organisng a Bushwahzee day with organising and rehearsing the school’s annual production

COST: $8 per student minimum plus GST.

Minimum for one man show $890 plus GST

Minimum for two man band $1330plus GST

Minimum for 3 piece band $1760 plus GST

No charge for parents in the evening. (Current as of May 1 2007)

Paul (one man show)   Cyril and Felix (two piece)    

“The Bush Cabaret...In 38 ears of teaching it’s the best show I’ve seen!”
Simon Ralph, Montagu Bay Primary School, TAS

“Bushwahzee’s - Bush Christmas...as a teacher of 22 years, and a parent of 3 children, it’s the best Christmas show I've seen.”
Bradley Clark, Assistant Principal, Bittern Primary School, VIC

Classroom Program for the Bush Cabaret for 3 piece band:-

The Classroom Program with Felix involves the Juniors learning The Puffing Billy Song, the Seniors - the Galopede and the Troika dances, and the Middle School the Overture and Finale.
Felix needs for his Juniors - a bell, a whistle, two or more flags and drawings done by the kids. Felix needs a Cd player for his Senior class. For his middle school kids a selection of percussion instruments.
The Classroom Program with Paul involves the Juniors learning the Stockyards dance, the Seniors performing The Man From Ironbark, and the Middle School the Overture and Finale.
Paul needs some materials for his seniors to make beards and some props
The Classroom Program with Cyril involves the Juniors learning The Bush Tucker Song, the Seniors The Rare Old Mountain Dew and the Middle School the Overture and Finale.
Cyril needs his Juniors  to be able to do some colouring in of bush tucker drawings, and needs a few props for his  Seniors
Occasionally if either Felix, Paul or Cryil  are unavailable their place will be taken by Ewen Baker or Pat McKernan

Contract and planning

Bushwahzee requires a deposit of approx. 25%, to hold the date, on confirmation of booking and require you to confirm date and venue in writing or by the contract we issue. The band stage manager, Paul Jenkins, will contact you about a month before the performance to plan the day. Please note that evening shows are scheduled for 6pm and finishes later than 7.30pm are by negotiation only. The suggested program (above) is ideal for schools 230 to 420 children.  For smaller schools we offer one and two man shows. For larger schools we usually invite a fourth member of the band to do extra workshops. Another option for very large schools is our 2-day program

Outside Performance

Outside performances are possible for the Cabaret/Happening in the evening. Performances outdoors on warm summer and autumn nights have been a great success. It’s a good idea, however, to have a hall booked as a back-up venue in case of inclement weather. Wind as well as rain can be a problem.
It is also suggested that where an outside performance is planned that there is some shelter for the band. Where the school has a small hall, and the outside performance has rain forecast we can possibly do two evening shows in the hall - Juniors/Middle School 5.30pm to 6.15pm and Seniors/Middle School 6.30pm to 7.30pm. The daytime program almost invariably needs to be inside.

Bushwahzee Checklist

Here are some of the most common problems that we've encountered over the years.
So it would be good if you could check that........
(1) Hall for the morning show is available and has enough cleared space for the whole school to sit on the floor.
(2) Three separate venues for the workshops are available and are cleared. Hall, Library, Music Room or some other combination.
(3) School percussion instruments are in Felix's workshop venue.
(4) Each member of staff has access to a copy of the timetable and a copy is available for each band member.
(5) If our PA is located in an area with student access, that it be supervised during recess and lunchtime.
(6)Teachers know that the afternoon rehearsals are a rerun of the morning workshops. The final rehearsal has all three workshop 3 groups combin ed.
(7)If the evening show is to be at a different location, the band has a map to get them there and the venue is available 45 minutes before show time.
(8)The evening venue is set up prior to the performance. Ideally a cleared hall with room for the band in front of the stage or along one wall. Immediately in front of the band we need a performance space about 10m. wide and 15m. deep.Then another space the same size to allow the students to sit on the floor. Around this open area on three sides can be placed seating for the parents provided the hall has sufficient space. Otherwise some chairs for those who need to sit and the space behind the chairs left for people to stand. THE SEATS CREATE A HORSESHOE AROUND THE PERFORMANCE AREA.
(9) Any food being served be situated right away from the performance area, so as not to be distracting. Or alternatively the serving of food stops 10 minutes before the start of the show.
(10) For an outside show general lighting needs to be available for the evening venue.  The lighting will be needed until the band has finished packing up.
(11)If decorating the evening venue don't put anything on the wall or stage behind the band. This is where we put our banner.
(12)HAY SHOULD NOT BE USED TO DECORATE THE HALL AS IT IS INCREDIBLY MESSY AND DUSTY AND MANY PEOPLE (INCLUDING OUR FIDDLER) ARE ALLERGIC TO IT.
(13) Payment, if possible, should be made on the day. Paul will contact the office during the day to get total numbers of students involved and finalise the invoice.
(14)The evening show normally runs for one and a half hours but may vary depending on the time taken to get the students up for there item and the audience's attention.

Access

Bushwahzee usually arrives at a school at around 8.30am to 8.45 am, a time when students are likely to be in the school yard. When we drive in a schoolyard we always go very slowly with a band member walking in front of the car. If we can’t get in the morning show may start have to start late. Please give some thought to how will we get into your school to set up in the morning - it would be great if you could meet us and make sure that students are kept away from the car as it enters the grounds.

Advertising

 
Bushwahzee evening shows have had a very good attendance over the years. In over 1200 shows we have only twice had a slightly disappointing audience (that means over 1198 fantastic audiences!), all the others have been well attended or way over what the school expected to get. Nevertheless advertising around the school and in the community is important and can really help you build your show and your school

Fundraising

It can be hard work but selling food and drink at your Bushwahzee event can raise a surprising amount of money! A school we were at recently sold $4000 worth of sausages and drinks....(yes it was a rather large school). However, even a modest stall of food and soft at average sized school drink can make $500 or more and subsidize the cost of the day and evening’s event.

Have Fun!

Some kids and maybe some parents maybe a bit slow to recognise the fun in bush dancing, but once they get going there is no stopping them!