Happy #FrontRowFriday, Encore family! Today we’re thrilled to chat with a life-long Encore participant, Dahlia Vicens, as she prepares for her role in Musical Theatre Intensive’s production of James and the Giant Peach.
Encore: Welcome to the Front Row blog! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Could you share a bit about how long you’ve been involved with Encore and the types of activities you participate in here?
Dahlia: I’ve been involved with Encore since I was 4. I’ve participated in many camps such as Stage Door, Scenes for Tweens and It’s Elementary. And I’ve even volunteered for It’s Elementary twice. I’ve also taken some Encore classes such as Make ‘Em Laugh and Broadway Boot Camp. I’ve also been in the cast of a few shows such as: Hansel and Gretel, Treasure Island, Cul de Sac, A Little Princess, The Best Haunted House Ever. I did front-of-house crew for Mary Poppins. I also participated in last year’s MTI production of Godspell.
Encore: What is your role in James and the Giant Peach? Do you get to work with any unusual puppets or costume pieces for your character?
DV: Earthworm. She’s both a boy and a girl. And she gets scared easily. I think that’s it. I don’t want to spoil it too much for people. I get to work with a yellow umbrella but it’s called a parasol in the show.
Encore: Why did you decide to enroll in MTI the first time?
DV: My mother encouraged me because she knew it would offer more singing and dancing opportunities. And also because she LOVES Godspell.
Encore: What do you enjoy the most about the MTI process that stands out from other Encore productions?
DV: What I enjoy the most about MTI is that they prepare us for a professional audition so if we want to continue doing musical theater in the future, then we’ll know what to expect and how to prepare for it. For our roles, even though we will all be cast in the show, we have an audition process so we can all see what a professional audition is like.
Encore: What’s your favorite aspect of working with MTI? What’s the most challenging part of the process?
DV: My favorite aspect of MTI is working with Doug and Kelsey because they care about us and genuinely improving our craft. MTI is all THREE things that I love to do: sing, dance, and act. I love learning choreography from Kelsey. The most challenging part is making time to practice at home because you have to balance it with school, home and other activities.
Encore: Please describe James and the Giant Peach in five words or short phrases.
DV: Fun, magical, adventurous, dark, colorful
Encore: Anything else you’d like to tell audience members in advance?
DV: There are some really great songs in the show and the show is lively!
You won’t want to miss all of the hard work the awesome students of MTI have put into this production – purchase your tickets today!
Photos by Larry McClemons, Aileen Pangan, and Nathan Bowen. Graphic design by Aimee Pangan. Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.