Nobody Wants to See a Tired Bat on Stage

by Oona Haaranen

[Oona Haaranen, a Finnish-born dancer and choreographer who came to this country 30 years ago, was a graduate student in a dance program whom I tutored in writing in 2007. I then began editing her writing and coaching her when she worked on the staff of the Dance Notation Bureau as education director.  (English, she’s quipped, isn’t her second language.  It’s her fourth!)  She’s not only a performer and a choreographer, but she teaches and directs dance, both to adult professionals (New York Theatre Ballet) and children, and she teaches and writes about Labanotation and several other notational languages as methods of documenting and creating dances. 

[Oona performed as a child for other children in her school in Finland and also performed a play for children with professional actors at the Finnish National Theatre when she was about 12 years old.  She also danced in shows with children who studied ballet in private school for a children’s story ballet company.  Later, Oona performed in professional productions for children at the Helsinki City Theatre where she did musical and dance productions as well. In addition to her professional dance credits, performance for and by children is something Oona knows well from direct experience.

[Oona’s been taking a memoir writing class and her goal is to document in a written form the important life experiences of her husband, her son, and herself.  “Nobody Wants to See a Tired Bat on Stage” represents a very recent memoir by Oona Haaranen which she wrote up in April, May, and June 2013, just weeks and months after the experience itself. Since she and her husband are older parents, she says, she hopes that her stories will be around to answer some of Sebastian’s questions about their lives.  She says that she thinks it’s nice to learn to write, and it’s been interesting to learn about the art of memoir writing, which is very different from writing about her usual subject, dance theory.

 [This is Oona’s first attempt to write about Sebastian’s important early life experiences.  (I’m personally delighted that theater is counted as one of them.)  Earlier, Oona wrote about her and her husband’s earliest days with their son.  “I am also curious about when I write something and what I remember,” she told me.  “I felt it was important to write about [Sebastian’s] first theater experience and, luckily, it was a very positive experience not only for Sebastian, but also for me and my husband!  I think we all loved it!”]

The middle of March 2013 had been an exciting and busy week with the Oysterponds Public School’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs presented by the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) from Montana. The children had their fantastic performance at the Greenport School auditorium on Saturday, March 16.

In the fall of 2012, the Oysterponds Elementary School’s PTA parents were talking about bringing a professional theatre company to Orient, New York, in Suffolk County, Long Island, for the second time to work with the kids at my son’s school. (MCT was at Oysterponds School the year before but Sebastian was in pre-school at the Orient Congregational Church. Oysterponds did not have pre-school at that time, though they do now, so Sebastian was not eligible to participate until this visit.) My hand went up because this was exactly what I was looking for for my son. It’s not easy to find this kind of opportunity in the North Fork. Parents who have time and can afford to, travel long distance to take their children to certain activities; they just aren’t available locally.

My six-year-old son, Sebastian, and I looked at the calendar and I told him that the theatre week at his school started Monday. He’d been counting days and nights until this special week started. Sebastian asked, “Mom, when are we going to see the performance?” I said, “No, you’re not going to see the performance—you’re going to be in it.” With a funny voice and face, he repeated, “Be in it?” “Yes,” I said. He didn’t quite know what that meant because, though he has seen ballet performances since he was three years old and has been observing rehearsals in ballet, he’d never been in nor even seen a theatre performance.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre, which I’d never heard of before, has been touring for 40 years from their home base to Japan (and beyond) and just during this year alone they’ll visit nearly 1,200 communities. As their flyer says: “A tour team arrives in a given town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything to put on a play . . . except the cast.” The actors would come from Oysterponds Elementary School’s student body. (The performers in MCT shows are usually from five to 18 years old, but in this show, they were only between ages 5½ and 12 because Oysterponds only serves grades K-6.) The whole show was put together in six days.

Monday, March 11 (day of the audition) – Day 1

The gym at Oysterponds Elementary was filled with children, excitement and loud noise.  I didn’t want to stay because I felt that this was Sebastian’s time and experience and I didn’t want him to be conscious of me watching him. Before I left, I gave Sebastian my first professional advice for the audition. I told him to “have fun and show them what you can do!” I was very nervous and went home. I came back for the parents’ meeting in the end where other parents told me that Sebastian did well with the audition and that he was going to be one of the Bats. They also told me that my son had a really great time in the audition. When we came home that day, Sebastian asked, “Do I have theatre practice tomorrow?” I said, “No, Bats don’t rehearse on Tuesday.” He couldn’t wait for the Wednesday practice.

Wednesday, March 13 (three days before the performance) – Day 2 for Bats

When I picked him up from the theatre practice, Sebastian wasn’t feeling well and threw up when we got home. I had heard that a virus was going around Kindergarten this week; I hoped that this wouldn’t mean that his career as a Bat was over, since he seemed to enjoy being a one.

Thursday, March 14 (two days before the performance)

I called the school nurse and told her that Sebastian had gotten sick yesterday, but that he was feeling better today. Sebastian insisted that he wanted to go to school and that he was feeling “fine.” The school’s policy is that if a child does not attend school, he is not allowed to attend the after-school activities. The nurse told me that due to the performance they were going to be more flexible with the rules this week and to bring him in later that afternoon if he felt okay. Sebastian couldn’t wait to go back to school and then take the bus to the big Greenport High School auditorium nearby.

I observed a little of the end of Thursday’s practice and all the Bats seemed confused. I saw that the children had a hard time getting adjusted to being on stage, since the previous rehearsals had taken place in the school gym; now they were lost with directions and placement on stage—something that also happens to professionals. It is not easy to remember all the lines and movements in the play, especially when you’ve changed practice space. When I picked Sebastian up, however, he was skipping out of the rehearsal and was very happy.

Friday, March 15 – Day 5 (day 4 for Bats)

On Friday morning, Sebastian asked, “Do I have practice in the Greenport School? I said, “Yes, and costumes, too.” He jumped in the air and said, “With Bat costumes!” “Yes,” I repeated, “with Bat costumes.”

I was able to see a little bit of the end of rehearsal on stage. Sebastian’s practice didn’t look so good. He was not doing everything fully out, but was mostly marking his movements and seemed a bit confused.  I asked Sebastian, “Why wasn’t it good? What was wrong today?” He said, “Because I was tired and that’s the reason I was slow.” I offered my second professional advice: “No one will want to see a tired Bat on stage. If you’re tired, you really can’t show that in a performance!” I remembered the countless times I was tired of smiling during a show, especially when I’d performed the same thing over forty times.

Saturday, March 16 (day of dress rehearsal and performance) – Day 6

Saturday morning we drove to a piano class. After class we picked up muffins and a lunch from Eric’s Restaurant in Southold. I noticed the local newspaper, the Suffolk Times, and found an article regarding the Snow White production. I showed it to Sebastian and he said, “Look, Mom, my head is in the newspaper!” I’m not sure it really was his head. We went home and I told Sebastian to relax, rest and play because he had a long fun day ahead at the Greenport School dress rehearsal and performance.

Sebastian’s dress rehearsal at the Greenport School auditorium started at 2 p.m. There was a huge improvement since I’d seen part of the run-through on Friday. Every child and role had improved, like a miracle in just one day. All the children were quiet, focused and well-behaved. I didn’t see even one moment of that nasty stuff where older kids put down the younger kids. There was none of that; just the opposite: all the children were working together respectfully. The older students were helping and assisting the younger ones with costumes or escorting them to bathrooms.  This must be part of MCT’s philosophy—everyone works together to accomplish the project (that is, the play) and no one teases or bullies anyone else for mistakes or difficulties. Instead, those who know more, help and teach those who are new or less experienced. Those children who do not want to perform can become assistants to the directors, sharing the production responsibilities. There is a “role” for everyone. That’s how they can do this both so quickly and with only two (young) adult directors (who, incidentally, I think did a terrific job).

The dress rehearsal was followed by a pizza lunch during which the children socialized with each other. Sebastian told me to go away and leave him with his friends.  I helped the children with make-up while those who were waiting were doing a second run-through reading in the same room. From the make-up powder I applied on every child’s face, I remembered the numerous times I’d prepared for a performance. After the make-up followed a short photo shoot with all cast members. The children had twenty minutes before the performance would start at 6 p.m.  Five minutes before the performance, I ran to the auditorium, where my husband, Sy, was holding a seat for me. It turned out to be a fairly big crowd. I was very excited for the children and of course for Sebastian.

The performance went extremely well. Only at one point did one cast member forget lines and the storyteller, Witless the Woodsman (the only professional cast member), said, “Aren't you supposed to say something like. . .,” and the child remembered her lines and the story continued. There was another interesting moment when the audience heard a big bang from stage right. It was probably the evil Queen’s mirror set that fell during the exit and Witless the Woodsman shouted, “I hope everyone is okay back there!” The audience laughed and hoped the same thing and the performance continued . . . . The children were able to keep the performance together and the audience was very responsive to everything that took place during the show.

I’ve seen and performed in countless theatre and dance productions both as a child performer and as a professional performing for children and grownups. I must say that this was not a typical children’s performance during which you sometimes wish it was over. This was a high-level theatre production performed by amateur children. All the children were singing, dancing and acting very well. My husband and I, long-time theatregoers, were pleased with this experience and totally amazed how well the show was put together.

The only nitpick I had with this show was Snow White’s costume. It was a little bit baggy. I asked the young directors, Ashlan Stephenson and Melody Waters, about this. They told me that a ninth-grader usually performs Snow White’s role, but Oysterponds only goes up to sixth grade. Perhaps this was also a nice twist, that Snow White actually wasn’t wearing the usual “Disney” dress with a collar we’re used to seeing.

After the show, I asked Sebastian, “Would you like to be in another theatre production?” He said, “Yes, are we going to the Greenport School tomorrow for theatre practice?” I said, “No, the show’s over for now, but maybe in the future.” I hoped the Oysterponds PTA would bring the Missoula Children’s Theatre back to Orient or anywhere on the North Fork.

At nine o’clock Saturday evening after the performance, the tired Bat just fell asleep. I had asked Sebastian, “What book do you want to read before going to sleep?” “ Do you want me to read you Snow White?” “No, Mom, Cinderella. Look, Mom, Cinderella looks like Snow White!” Perhaps it was because of Snow White’s baggy and peasant-like costume in the show that he told me that Cinderella looked like Snow White. . . . I read him Cinderella. Usually we read three books at bedtime but by nine, the tired and happy Bat was asleep. No other books were needed, just music.

Two-and-a-half months after Sebastian’s theatre debut, I’m typing final rewrites to this ‘work-in-progress’ story while sitting in an audition for another Missoula Children’s Theatre production, Rapunzel at the Mattituck High School auditorium, a little farther west than Greenport. Sebastian is going to be one of the nine little Mushrooms in this June’s production while I’ll be a stage mom.

[“I am curious how different mediums act as a form of documentation,” Oona wrote me, “not just writing but the way photos can tell a story or music recording can tell a story of how Sebastian has improved from the first piano class.”  “I would love to mix mediums and find an interesting collage form in which I could mix photos, written words, sound recordings and video together, and perhaps also art.” She says that just before Christmas she wrote a new piece about how she came to the U.S.  “Since it was something that happened so long ago, it was very different to write” compared to “Tired Bat,” a very recent memory, Oona found.  “These were things that I haven’t been thinking about for very long, but Sebastian’s story is something that happened very recently and writing something recent is very different,” she observed. 

[I hope Oona will continue to send me stories of her family and her life as well as articles about her dance work, both as a teacher and as a choreographer.  I don’t cover dance much on ROT because it’s a field in which I’m ignorant, and I hope Oona will favor the blog with discussions of her art, especially her work with children—which, readers of ROT will know, is a subject I care about a great deal.  In the past, I’ve written on this blog about art in schools and theater by and for children (see “Degrading the Arts,” 13 August 2009; “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Children's Theater in America,” 25 November 2009; “Making Broadway Babies” [from Allegro], 25 November 2013; “Kids on the Broadway Boards” [from assorted sources], 30 November 2013.)  I also posted a report on the Missoula Children’s Theatre on 25 August 2009, which I urge interested ROTters to read in connection to Oona’s account of the company’s work on Long Island (http://rickontheater.blogspot.com/2009/08/missoula-childrens-theatre.html).]

 

Kids on the Broadway Boards

“GROWING UP BROADWAY”

Meet Kid Actors From Cat, Annie, Matilda, Drood, and Newsies

By Michael Gioia

With nearly half of Broadway shows currently on the boards populated with children under the age of 18, we sit down with a few of them to talk about what it’s like growing up on stage.

“I never remember deciding that I wanted to be an actor,” explains an 11-year-old Victoria Leigh from her dressing room at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre. “It kind of just happened.”

While her classmates at New York City’s Professional Performing Arts School were preparing for the school play, Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Leigh was busy preparing for her Broadway debut as Dixie in the current revival of Tennessee Williams’ Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. The young actress had to back out of the school play to begin rehearsals for Broadway.

Sacrificing extra-curricular activities and time for friends can play a part in an actor’s life when he or she is bound for Broadway at a young age. Jaidyn Young, the 11-year-old swing of this season’s Annie, temporarily gave up life on the West Coast for her Broadway dreams. “I sang all the Broadway songs, and I knew all the Broadway shows, but I never [thought], ‘Someday that’s going to be me,’” says Young, who moved with her mother to Manhattan for the show while her father and older sister stayed in California.

Although friends and family are hours away, nothing beats belting out the iconic Annie anthems on the Palace Theatre’s stage for thousands of New York City theatregoers. “It was very surreal,” says Young—smiling ear to ear—about making her Broadway debut. “In the bed, when we get pushed out [onto the stage], the girl who plays July was squeezing my hand so hard, I thought I was going to lose blood! Everyone was so excited for me.”

Exciting is how ten-year-old Newsies actor Jake Lucas describes his first night “Carrying the Banner” on Broadway. “It’s really, really fun being on stage and dancing with a lot of really incredible dancers—doing all their flips and turns in front of me,” says Lucas, who plays the youngest newsboy of the bunch, Les. “It’s really, really cool!”

Like Lucas, Matilda the Musical’s Jack Broderick and The Mystery of Edwin Drood’s Nicholas Barasch relish the fact that they’re sharing the stage with such talents. Broderick, who will turn 13 by the time Matilda begins previews March 4, starred as the narrator in the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park production of Into the Woods. “It was fun,” he says, “because we had Amy Adams and Donna Murphy and Denis O’Hare, and they were really nice and welcoming.” On the other hand, Barasch, 14, admitted that he was “so nervous, especially when Chita [Rivera] walked in” on his first day of rehearsal for Edwin Drood. With greatness, however, comes great responsibility, and all five actors dish about balancing school and social lives while starring on the Great White Way. “I mean, it gets to be stressful, but you just breathe deep,” explains Broderick during a rehearsal for Matilda. A typical rehearsal for the child ensemble of the new musical consists of “school” in the morning and learning material for the show in the afternoon.

As per Actors’ Equity Association guidelines, child performers who haven’t finished high school must be provided with an accredited tutor from the production’s point of origin until one week after opening night. This applies to original cast members of Broadway shows, tours, or out-of-town tryouts.

After opening, some actors continue to be home-schooled, some return to public school, and some take part in independent studies. “I used to be in a public school when I [performed] at the Met Opera,” says Newsies’ Lucas, “and they didn’t really like me going to rehearsals all of the time, so my dad and I sat down, and we created a spreadsheet—how much time we’re spending at school—and we realized that home-schooling was a better option.”

For Cat On a Hot Tin Roof’s Leigh, being around her peers far outweighs the hectic hours of late-night shows and early-morning school days. “I went to school on Tuesday,” she says, “and I thought, ‘People my age! They exist!’”

Barasch, who plays the Deputy in the acclaimed, and extended, revival of Edwin Drood—and who has yet to begin high school—says, “I will probably go to high school in March when [the show] ends. I would definitely say I’m uneasy because everyone has already settled into the school, and I’m the newcomer. I’m sure the first week is going to be terrifying, but after that I’m sure it will be fine.”

“I do an independent study through my school district in California,” explains Annie’s Young, “so I still can do all of the homework that my friends are doing, which is cool because if I’m stuck on something I can ask them.”

Speaking of school, earnings from the actors’ Broadway careers can provide a nice foundation for a college education. New York state law requires 15 percent of a child’s gross earnings to be placed in a trust fund that can be accessed in his or her adult life.

For now, though, soaking up life on Broadway—the Mecca of theatre and stomping ground of legendary performers—is the only thing on their minds: Thunderous applause. Standing ovations. Signing autographs. Television appearances. Award ceremonies.

“For right now, I love being an actor,” says Barasch. “I still can’t believe it. Every day I think, ‘What am I doing?!’”

[This feature appeared in the February 2013 issue of Playbill.  Playbill.com staff writer Michael Gioia’s work also appears in the news, feature, and video sections of Playbill.com.]

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“WHERE ANGRY CHILDREN STOMP, AND POP HAS A STRUT”

by Alastair Macaulay

Bit by bit, to marvelous effect, the choreography of the Broadway musical “Matilda” becomes central to the whole production. Most of its characters are caricatures. Their movement takes that caricaturish quality and makes it vivid in terms of rhythm, gesture and formal dance steps.

During Act I Matilda’s ghastly mother, Mrs. Wormwood (Lesli Margherita), turns “Loud,” the song in which she announces how to deal with life, into a big flashy rumba with her dance teacher, Rudolpho. Soon a wall lifts, two other rumba couples strut their stuff, and four chorines at the back are acting as judges. Rumba is a dance form that’s been wrecked by competitive dance; all that’s left is acrobatic brashness. But that’s perfect for “Loud.”

Although I’ve seen four other Broadway musicals recently, none was half so memorable in any way. “Matilda,” at the Shubert Theater, is a leading contender for the Tony Award for best choreography, to be awarded in Sunday night’s ceremony. Other contenders are “Bring It On,” now closed, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler; “Kinky Boots,” choreographed by Jerry Mitchell; and “Pippin,” choreographed by Chet Walker.

The “Matilda” choreography is by Peter Darling, whose other credits include “Billy Elliot: The Musical.” Sometimes he gives single dance steps to characters — and the steps transfigure them. Bertie Carvel’s performance as the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is altogether amazing, but early on in “The Hammer” he points a leg behind him in arabesque and then briefly takes flight, both legs outstretched in grand jeté. It’s so daft and so perfect to find this gorgon releasing her energies in these little balletic touches that we see whole new facets of her.

The body language of Matilda’s father, Mr. Wormwood (Gabriel Ebert), likewise stays in the memory. He’s what we Britons call a spiv, a dandified minor crook, and his knees seem to stay perpetually bent, often grotesquely so.

Most of the movement in “Matilda” is carried by the children, who are tiny and wonderful; it’s with them that we’re most repeatedly aware of choreography. With rhythmic movement, more than sheer dance, they indicate their frustration, rebelliousness and hope. As they move around their classroom — sitting on desks, stomping, folding their arms — the angry pulse that accumulates is terrific.

There’s plenty of movement in “Pippin” (Music Box Theater) — the central device of Diane Paulus’s staging is that the story is told in circus terms — but Mr. Walker’s choreography, in the Bob Fosse tradition, makes even the motions of warfare horridly sexed-up. Only with Andrea Martin, as Pippin’s grandmother Berthe, does the use of trapezes and acrobatics become entrancing, funny and breathtaking.

In one dance during the ballroom scene of “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” (Broadway Theater), Santino Fontana, as the Prince, lifts Laura Osnes’s Cinderella in a way that seems physically impossible: at the matinee I attended, it looked as if he was supporting her upside down at the end of one extended arm. If I went back, that’s the moment I’d like to check out; but otherwise Josh Rhodes’s choreography is efficient without being memorable.

And the dances in “Kinky Boots” (Al Hirschfeld Theater) aren’t as striking as their subject matter — drag queens wearing flashy footwear — deserves. Mr. Mitchell both directs and choreographs; the dances are lively, enjoyable, but without any striking detail. Still, one simple movement is haunting: the hilarious way Annaleigh Ashford, as the factory worker Lauren, puts her head to one side while opening up to the audience about her crush on her boss. She has no clue whether she stands a chance with him; she hardly knows what this new emotion is; and this funny, pensive, near-defeatist twist of the neck wins everybody’s heart.

For sheer dancing, “Motown: The Musical” (Lunt-Fontanne Theater) is better than all of these. The problem here is that the show, which tells the story of Motown Records, doesn’t release the full potential of any song. But from the first, the choreography by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams shows that Motown is full of dance energy: you see steps, rhythms, phrases from overlapping groups and from individuals. Their dances make the hits all the more infectious.

These shows demonstrate the wide variety of what Broadway choreography can include: people doing social-dance steps to popular music, a drag headmistress quickly doing a formal jump, a girl tipping her head while finding she’s falling in love, a grandmother swinging upside down from a trapeze, a prince supporting the heroine on one hand in a ballroom number. I never envy the Tony judges here.

As a Briton going to shows on Broadway, may I add what a fun surprise it is to hear, in two different productions, the British glottal stop? Lauren in “Kinky Boots” speaks of going to “I’aly”; and Mrs. Wormwood in “Matilda” says “Bu’ I’ve go’ a baby.” In Britain the glottal stop is never heard in polite society. In America, however, it’s an exotic thrill.

[Alastair Macauley is a dance critic for the New York Times.  This article originally appeared in section C (“The Arts”) of the New York Times on 8 June 2013.]

 

Making Broadway Babies

[Over the past few years I’ve collected several articles, all from Allegro, that report on programs for children interested in musical theater.  (Allegro is the member magazine of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, the union that represents, among other instrumental artists, the musicians who play in theater pit orchestras.)  As regular readers of ROT know, theater education (as well as the arts in schools) is one of my most cherished causes; I have published articles, both by my own hand and borrowed from others, on this topic on this blog many times (see, for example, “Degrading the Arts,” 13 August 2009)—and I’ll likely continue to do so as long at I put out ROT.  Obviously I encourage readers to support these efforts or those like them—and there are similar programs for theater, both musical and non-musical, in locales all over the country, some aimed at young artists and other at young audiences—but as far as ROT is concerned for now, it’s enough to learn about them and hear what they’re up to.  So, in that light, here’s a collection of articles about teaching kids to become Broadway Babies.  ~Rick]

“POSTCARDS FROM BROADWAY BOOT CAMP”

by Bettina Covo

 

How do we build an appetite for live musical theatre? That's easy: teach the children

The good old summertime: economies sinking, governments defaulting, prices rising, job markets shrinking, orchestras struggling, sweltering heat – and this year, an earthquake and a hurricane! Perhaps it was a summer many of us would prefer to forget.

But for eight lucky kids, it was a summer they will always remember. They got to spend one glorious week in August at Broadway Boot Camp, hosted this year by Local 802.

The camp is a yearly summer program presented by Inside Broadway, the professional New York City-based children’s theatre company.

For five wonderful days, these children got to experience, first-hand, what it takes to put together a Broadway-style showcase.

Under the creative tutelage of program director Katie McAllister and teaching artist Abigail Jones, the kids – ranging in age from 10 to 15 – each learned a new Broadway song that challenged their vocal abilities, a monologue that taught them the subtleties of comedy, and a rather complicated group dance number they had to learn in just two hours. It was an intensive marathon of song, dance and drama.

Local 802 was proud and pleased to host the program. Michael Presser, executive director of Inside Broadway, had approached the union to see if we might donate our facilities three hours each day, culminating in a final show in the Club Room for a small audience of friends and family.

The officers and Executive Board members gave a unanimous thumbs-up to the request, which provided the kids a unique opportunity to rehearse and perform in the heart of the Theatre District.

Acting as liaison between 802 and the Inside Broadway team, I sat in on their last day of rehearsal in Room B. As I spoke to the group, I found myself talking about 802 and the challenges facing musicians on Broadway and how it’s all about "keeping it live." The kids told me how thrilled they were to be at 802 where they had the chance to sneak into the Club Room each day to hear different bands rehearsing and watch professional musicians in action. Their response was a resounding: "It was awesome!"

The campers’ final performance was attended by President Tino Gagliardi and Recording Vice President John O’Connor. Tino gave some fantastic opening remarks. The show was great and the kids had a blast.

Of equal significance was the fact that 35 proud friends and family members enjoyed the fruits of their labors while they sat in the union’s Club Room for the first time. They heard our president speak about live performance and the importance of the union to music and musicians. They witnessed their children’s accomplishments and were deeply appreciative that 802 gave these kids the opportunity to be part of a professional musical organization.

As chair of the union’s Education Subcommittee, it was particularly rewarding for me to see Local 802 host Broadway Boot Camp. Six of the eight participating children play an instrument and are part of a school band or orchestra. These are our future members, and now they can say that they’ve performed live theatre with a live pianist in the Local 802 building, the home of live music.

Hopefully, we can host next year’s camp and continue to educate children and their families about the importance of live music, while helping the folks at Inside Broadway teach and nurture the talents of these kids.

More importantly, it is my hope that we will continue to pass down the great tradition of musical theater and enable children to have fun and bask in the pure joy of live performance.

Now, I’d say that was a great summer!

[Bettina Covo is a songwriter, composer, and singer, and a member of the Local 802 Executive Board and the chair of the union’s Education Subcommittee. This and the following story originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Allegro (volume 111, number 10).

[Broadway Boot Camp is a program for young people from Inside Broadway, a children’s theater company based in New York City which dedicates itself to the musical theater.  Inside Broadway (http://insidebroadway.org) has many other programs, including some directed at older theatergoers and some that run in schools.]

 

*  *  *  * 

“‘I KNOW IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE’”

by B. J. Gandolfo

Live music was an essential ingredient of Broadway Boot Camp. Local 802 member B.J. Gandolfo volunteered her time to play piano for the kids. She rehearsed and coached them in their songs and then accompanied them in the Friday showcase. She told Allegro why she said yes to this job.

When program director Katie McAllister asked me to come in and accompany their boot camp, working with her and Abigail Jones, I was very happy to do it.

As teaching artists, Katie and Abby not only know how to teach these kids all the aspects of being singing-and-dancing performers but they also make it fun and exciting.

This year, the students had some challenging songs to prepare. Some had key changes, tempo changes, or stretched their vocal ranges, but all the students worked hard on their music. With only a week to learn their songs, monologues and choreography, they did really well when it came time to perform them.

All of this was able to happen because Local 802 donated the space – for an entire week – in which the kids rehearsed and performed.

I am grateful to 802 for making that possible. I know it has made a difference to these young performers who will one day be facing the fights we face now. They will always value the summer when they performed with a live piano on the stage at Local 802.

[B. J. Gandolfo, a pianist, is a teaching artist with Inside Broadway and a member of Local 802.] 

*  *  *  *

“BEHIND THE CURTAIN”

by Bettina Covo

Kids get a taste of the magic of Broadway, thanks to innovative program

When kids get to hear live music, something magical happens. Twice a year, Inside Broadway brings children from various New York public schools to a Broadway production where they are given a once-in-a-lifetime experience – a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of a Broadway show. The program is called “Creating the Magic,” and I recently had the great pleasure of attending the latest production.

Inside Broadway is a not-for-profit organization whose self-stated mission is to “pass down the rich legacy of America’s musical theatre to future generations so that the magic, music, and universal themes of the genre are not lost, but rediscovered and made relevant for today’s youth.” Creating the Magic is one of the many Inside Broadway programs designed to educate schoolchildren about the importance and marvel of live performance on the Great White Way. Executive Director Michael Presser acts as the M.C. for the shows, which are produced by Nick Sala, associate producer and company manager.

The show chosen for this event was the current revival of “Annie” at the Palace Theatre. The show appeals to kids of all ages, with larger-than-life characters and classic songs like “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”

Close to 3,000 children from 25 public schools filled the theatre for both morning and afternoon shows. The excitement was palpable. When Michael Presser came out on stage to introduce the production, the roar of applause was deafening. But once the kids settled down, they were glued to their seats with rapt attention as they watched each demonstration and musical number.

The presentation was a seamless, tightly-produced 75 minutes of performances and fun-filled information that began with a brief history of the Palace Theatre. Throughout the show, representatives of the various Broadway unions were invited on stage to speak to the kids about their particular relationship to the show’s production. Presser, as well as the entire staff at Inside Broadway, are staunch union supporters. It is an important component of all their presentations – educating the next generation of children about the role of the theatrical unions, which help create the magic of live theatre.

Local 802 was proudly represented by Recording Vice President John O’Connor, who spoke at the morning show, and Financial Vice President Tom Olcott at the afternoon performance. Each addressed the audience about the importance of Local 802 and keeping the music live, as well as the wonderful efforts of Inside Broadway. They were perfect ambassadors for Local 802.

Cast members Ashley Blanchet (Lily), Jeremy Davis (Rooster), Merwin Foard (Daddy Warbucks), Liz McCartney (Miss Hannigan), Taylor Richardson (Annie) – plus “Sandy,” played by Mickey, a ten-year-old rescue dog – performed four numbers from the show. Michael Presser interviewed the actors (and of course the dog trainer, Dustin Harder) about their theatre backgrounds, allowing the audience an intimate glimpse into the lives of these thespians. At the end of the show, the kids asked questions directly to the actors, musicians and technicians – a priceless opportunity.

Peter Lawrence, the show’s production supervisor, demonstrated the innovative technology behind the sets and lighting as well as the sound and props. It was quite fascinating.

For both programs, the regular orchestra of 17 musicians was pared down to a rhythm section of Aaron Jodoin (piano), Dave Kuhn (bass) and Eric Poland (drums). The band was led by Associate Conductor Joey Chancey, who came on stage and addressed the kids directly. This was something that had been done only once before in the history of these programs, and it was much appreciated. It was refreshing to see the otherwise unknown and unseen conductor of a Broadway pit up on stage sharing the spotlight with the actors.

Chancey introduced the band as each musician played a few bars on their instrument. He then spoke briefly about the important role of the music director and described the missing orchestra instrument by instrument. It was short, to-the-point and informative and Chancey said he was thrilled to contribute to the event. “It was so exciting to be a part of what I know will be such a profound experience in so many kids’ lives,” he told Allegro.

The Creating the Magic events allow these children a rare opportunity to learn about the complexity of producing a Broadway show from the people who create it night after night. For many of these kids, this is their first time in a Broadway theatre. That alone is a powerful experience.

Michael Presser and the creative staff of Inside Broadway work hard to ensure the children have an enjoyable as well as educational experience where they learn about the organic process of live theatre. Like the moment in “The Wizard of Oz,” when Dorothy courageously reveals the man behind the curtain, these children learn that Broadway is about individual people – with their union behind them – working together to create the magic.

[This article appeared in Allegro in June 2013 (volume 113, number 6).]

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“BROADWAY BOUND”

by Bettina Covo

Kids learn the magic of live music at a summer theatre camp

Kids whose dream is to perform on Broadway have their own special camp every summer. Since 2010, Local 802 has hosted Inside Broadway’s Broadway Boot Camp. This year, the week-long camp – provided free of charge to the participants – arrived with some exciting changes for the attendees as this wonderful summer program develops and expands.

Executive Director Michael Presser and Program Director Katie McAllister have dreamed up a new name for the camp: Summer Stock Jr. Along with the new brand came some interesting changes in the program’s format.

Unlike earlier summers where each child would perform a solo song and monologue, this year students performed a half-hour show complete with five big production numbers that involved the entire cast.

The theme was melodrama. “Everything Old is New Again” – written, directed and choreographed by Inside Broadway’s teaching artist, Abigail Jones – included some tried and true melodramatic characters: the evil villain and her two cohorts who conspire to take over the town; the absent-minded “grandpa” who lives in the bygone days of vaudeville; the young hero and heroine who save the day; the double agent who infiltrates the show as an informant for the evil mayor; the frustrated director and choreographer who despite all odds, manage to pull off the show; the town diva; and, last but not least, the narrator of the entire show, replete with cue cards (boo, applause, etc.) to insure exuberant audience participation – of which there was plenty.

The student actors had their work cut out for them. The show involved extensive character work, singing, dancing, movement, improv and – in true melodramatic style – a lot of mugging for the audience. The entire show – including the five production numbers – had to be learned and perfected in the four short days leading up to Friday’s performance for family and friends in the Local 802 Club Room.

This year, I had the opportunity to witness the daily progress of the show (and participate as the audience, providing those crucial “boos” when prompted). It was fascinating to watch Katie and Abigail work with the students, critiquing and encouraging their talents, all while trying to create a cohesive show under very stringent time constraints.

For the first three days of Summer Stock Jr., students practiced their musical numbers to pre-recorded tracks. Then, the magic of live music arrived on Thursday when Local 802 member and pianist BJ Gandolfo arrived on the scene to play for the dress rehersal. Acting as musical director, BJ worked with the children, addressing individual vocal issues and pitch problems as well as the overall shape and quality of the musical numbers. After that, Abigail ran the entire show for the first time with BJ playing live.

The difference with live music was startling. It felt like someone turned the lights on. The kids came alive. Hesitant acting became boldly melodramatic. The dancing kicked. The songs popped. Melodrama abounded! Abigail had the freedom to change tempos and alter aspects of the show that were impossible to do using tracks. Everything flowed and moved. This could only happen with live music.

Ultimately, all the hard work and practice paid off. The show was wonderful. From start to finish, the students were visibly comfortable on stage hamming it up as BJ added just the right amount of comedic underscoring. The appropriate “boos” and “hurrays” – courtesy of our narrator – filled the club room as the actors successfully engaged the audience.

I spoke with two of the students about their camp experience. Melissa Fishman, 13, who played one of the villainous cohorts, has returned to the Inside Broadway summer camp for three consecutive years. Melissa plays the flute, piccolo, clarinet and saxophone. She excitedly told me, “I want to become a professional musician and join Local 802 as soon as I can.” Summer Stock Jr. has had a profound effect on Melissa, particularly being at Local 802. As she put it: “I want to teach the next generation of musicians all about the importance of live music.”

Ryan O’Connor, who played the role of narrator, is another 13 year-old returnee to Inside Broadway’s summer camp. Whether it’s performing on stage or working as a stage manager back stage, Ryan is interested in a career in the theatre. Ryan confessed to me, “After doing Summer Stock Jr., I am more confident. Performing in front of an audience is still scary, but it’s getting better every time I do it.”

When asked about performing with living, breathing musicians, Ryan explained, “Performing with live musicians is an important experience for me because something new happens every time I’m on stage. There is a sense of collaboration and flexibility that brings whatever I’m doing more to life.”

Through the combined efforts of Inside Broadway and their talented staff members Katie McAllister and Abigail Jones, together with Local 802, these fortunate children were given the unique opportunity to learn, rehearse and perform live musical theatre in the heart of the theatre district, in the home of live music: Local 802!

[The article above was originally published in the October 2013 issue of Allegro (volume 113, number 9).]