THEATRE: Not your regular fare in taking on the issue
heard things like it was the best youth theatre program in the country, that kind of thing,” Davis said.
Interested singers auditioned in the spring and had to work on learning the music before they arrived last week. He noted more singers auditioned and were chosen for roles, but decided to work summer jobs instead to pay for school.
“We have had as many as 50 for some productions. This would be a relatively smaller cast for us. And I think sometimes it depends on the production we choose. If we had chosen something more popular, maybe we would have got more,” Davis said.
They typically don’t sell out their shows. Last year’s production of Carrie went well though, he said, with big audiences. One of the drawbacks of choosing The Boys in the Photograph is that people don’t come out in big numbers for a musical they aren’t familiar with.
Last year’s production supported StopaBully.ca, by collecting prom dresses for Prom Blitz, a charity that provides free prom clothes for those in need. This year they’ve joined forces with Waterloo Minor Soccer, to help bring athletes to the theatre. Davis said a donation has made it possible for a few soccer teams to attend the Saturday matinee.
Elmira’s Jasmine Thuroo is performing in The Boys in the Photograph. This is her first year with The Singer’s Theatre. She met Brunk through the Grand Philharmonic Choir, which Brunk directs.
“I was just like I’ll audition for this because she’s doing it and so that’s when I automatically was like I really love musical theatre,” Thuroo said.
She’s previously performed with Royal City Musical Productions Inc. in Guelph, in Singin’ in the Rain and Willy Wonka. She says she’s learning a lot about collaboration through The Singer’s Theatre.
“I’ve done musicals, but not for awhile. I’m learning a lot of different things, how to interact with people, and especially with tableaus it’s how to move with people, having