Theatre By Kids, For Kids!
Rewind, Fast-Forward & Press Play on Encore’s Musical Mixtape Journey!
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September 20, 2013
Summer for Encore this past year consisted of theatre camps galore, friendships and “OMIGOD you guys”…hot pink madness! Our summer production of Legally Blonde The Musical was a complete success, seen by over 2,000 audience members. Having the blues for Legally Blonde? Let’s rewind our summer with Director Susan A. Keady as she talks about her favorite moments of the show.
Susan: My favorite memories of Legally Blonde were the intangible times, when, after weeks and weeks of rehearsal drudgery and unrewarding repetitive work on staging, music, and dance,the cast members had learned the basics and they began to illuminate their own creative discoveries. The creative process is not a set of evenly spaced achievements; each actor had to learn and being to initiate the blend of the technical aspects of the rehearsal and immerse themselves into their roles. Since the spirit of the script is comedic, the actors had a great time interacting with each other in character as well as with the creative staff during most of the rehearsals.
This summer was different from other summers because the play was more musically demanding than other shows we have produced. In addition, Elle, the lead, rarely left the stage so it was important not to tax her with too much movement; she also had a record number of changes off stage with split second timing, as did another character, Anna. The crew was charged with the professional, rapid dressing of the characters.It was implicit that the actors, first and foremost learn their music. There was an enormous responsibility for the cast to sing succinctly and to use their songs as their language; as if they were speaking vs. singing. As the director, along with the co-director and director-in-training, I made the choice early on to allow the actors to focus on the music because the comedy, the blocking, and the character development is inherent in the script. I knew that the cast would be successful during the rehearsal process without constant advice; the music had already many of the successful transitions that moved the musical forward.
I know the audience enjoyed the show because of the way in which they reacted nearly every night to the work the cast put in toward the end of the project; “the icing on the cake”. Night after night it was a wonderful show. –Director, Susan A. Keady
We are offering Show Choir in both the fall and winter sessions, with more performance opportunities. Over the past two years, the quality and skill level of the show choir has grown tremendously and we’re excited for its third year!
Fall placement auditions: September 23, 2013 | 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Spring placement auditions: January 27, 2013 | 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Located Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road Arlington, VA 22204)
Rehearsals: Mondays* beginning September 30—January 6; 7:00 – 9:00 pm (Rehearsal and performance dates and times subject to change. Rehearsals will be held on Wednesdays when proceeding Monday is a holiday.)
Activity Fee: $450. Scholarship applications are available online at www.encorestage.org.
Fall Session Show Choir will perform at the following events:
Saturday, Oct. 5—Performance at Barnes and Noble Book Fair, Seven Corners, 1-3pm
Friday, Nov. 15—Performance at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, TJ, 7:30pm curtain
Saturday, Dec. 14—Holiday performance, Theatre on the Run
Saturday, January 11—Final Fall Performance, Theatre on The Run (3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 22206)
Music Director: Douglas Ullman, Jr.
Choreographer: Kelsey Meiklejohn
High school and middle school students gearing up for the winter musicals? Try out this new class:
Voice for the Actor
Wednesdays, October 2–November 6, 2013
Time: 7-8 pm; Fee: $85
Location: Theatre on the Run (3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 22206)
This new class will focus on freeing a student’s ability to communicate with their voice–whether through text or song. Using methods developed by Kristin Linklater, weekly sessions will help students to build technical skills, strengthening their performance ability now and giving them the tools to succeed at the college level and beyond. This class is recommended for students with some previous performance or class experience.
For students in grades K-5, we have plenty of classes to choose from including Broadway Kids, Disney Dance, All that Jazz, and more! Be sure to follow our music note icon for our recommended classes in musical theatre.
Last and certainly not least, Encore is thrilled to begin offering private lessons for voice and piano students during the 2013-14 season. Private lessons are available to students in all stages of learning, from beginners to experienced performers. Lessons are a great way to get customized, one-on-one instruction from an expert, to prepare for an audition or performance, to hone your skills as an artist, or to simply learn more about the performing arts! All lessons last one hour, and are held at Theatre on the Run 3700 South Four Mile Run Drive. Click here to get started.
Click here to learn more about our Encore journeys. Press play on our Musical Mixtape Journey and take part in the magic of theatre!
Blog contributor: Susan Keady Photo credit: Larry McClemons and Aileen Pangan