The spectacular - the world’s largest youth variety extravaganza - reaches out in 2009, taking the cherished event in a new direction as it celebrates its 26th anniversary. The two young performers, Nicholas Kelly from Armidale and Melanie Dyer from Inverell, will take audiences to a musical wonderland with the showcase of their extraordinary talents.

This year’s theme, Reaching Out, will see more than 3000 NSW public school students aged five to 19 on display in a dazzling show of colour, movement and music inspired by Australian life.

Nicholas, a student at Duval High, started training professionally in music and performance at the age of 10. He is a soloist in Gondwana choirs - the national children’s choir of Australia. This will be his first time at Schools Spectacular as a featured artist.

Melanie is a 16-year-old student at Inverell High, who has won numerous awards as an emerging musician. She has a great passion for country music and prides herself on being not only a brilliant singer but also a talented songwriter. At Schools Spectacular 2007, she performed her original composition Life on the Land, which was chosen as the official anthem for the National Drought Appeal. This year will be Melanie’s third time at the show as a featured artist.

Pooling talent from rural and metropolitan areas across NSW, Schools Spectacular combines a 1000 voice choir, 1800 dancers and an 80-piece symphony orchestra, with foyer performers, Aboriginal and all-male dance ensembles, and more than 40 featured artists.