Youth musical theater performances return after 2020 cancellations

Practicing lifts and dips in their choreography, Youth Theater Carson City actors sing and dance to “Let’s Hear it for the Boy.”
Faith Evans

By Faith Evans

Thursday, July 29, 2021

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Back-to-back jazz-hand-worthy evenings are coming to Carson City, with “Alice in Wonderland Jr.,” “Footloose the Musical,” and “Heathers the Musical” opening this weekend and next.

Wildhorse Productions cast and crew for Alice in Wonderland Junior rehearse musical numbers outside on the Brewery Arts Center stage. They’re offering two showings Sunday.
Photo: Faith Evans

Wildhorse Productions goes down the rabbit hole

“Alice in Wonderland” and “Heathers” have both been sitting on standby since March 2020, when mother-daughter directors Carol and Sierra Scott were forced to continually delay their show dates. Both are eager to get their respective productions on the books.

And one upside? Carol jokingly told an Appeal reporter that the costumes look better than ever, with 18 extra months to work on them.

Despite the delays, the cast is largely intact, featuring 55 children between the ages of 5 and 17. They even have a few new faces: Sierra’s daughters, who turned 5 last year, just barely old enough to start acting with Wildhorse Productions.

The opposite is true for “Heathers.” Sierra said that since she cast older teenagers a year ago, a chunk of her actors have aged into college. But the show will go on, with one actor even flying in to fill his role.

Sierra is also impressed with how mature her “Heathers” cast seems. And of the “Alice in Wonderland” crew, she exclaimed, “They all got taller!”

The young actors have a few butterflies in their stomachs, but they sang and danced with confidence on Monday.

Madeline Lyons who plays Tweedle Dee, Ella Kent who plays the bubble-blowing caterpillar, and Gretta Pugh as the White Rabbit, all said that it’s difficult trying to remember the old stage directions and lines. Really, it feels like they’re re-learning it, especially with a few COVID-friendly edits to their old choreography.

But the Scotts have full confidence in their young actors.

“We got them in last Tuesday, and they remember everything,” Carol said.

Youth Theatre Carson City actors practice a full, costumed run of their show “Footloose,” opening Friday night. In front, lead actress Camilla Beckwith plays Ariel Moore.
Photo: Faith Evans

Youth Theater Carson City dances the night away

Going strong with their second post-COVID production, Youth Theater Carson City actors just want audiences to know that “You’ve got to come see ‘Footloose.’”

That’s what Erich Parker, playing Ren McCormack, told an Appeal reporter in between musical numbers during Monday rehearsals. “If you don’t come see it, you’re missing out,” he said.

Over the four-week rehearsal schedule, Parker said that he’s had to build his quick memorization skills and on-stage stamina.

His co-lead, Camilla Beckwith playing Ariel Moore, agreed that it’s been a challenge, but added, “It’s thrilling. How often do you get to do this in children’s theater?”

The performance features over 30 local youth between sixth and twelfth grade, working both onstage and offstage.

“Our kids have been dying to get back onstage and back into the rehearsal room with their friends,” Wilkerson said in a press release. “I cannot wait to share this experience with our audiences.”

Staging the opening conflict between characters Alice and her sister Mathilda, Wildhorse Productions actresses rehearse their opening musical number.
Photo: Faith Evans

SCHEDULE
“Footloose” runs July 30 and 31 at 7 p.m., and July 31 and Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Bob Boldrick Theater of the Community Center, 851 E William St. Tickets are $15, $12 for students and seniors, and $5 for children under the age of 5.
Find tickets at youththeatrecarsoncity.com/on-stage.

“Alice in Wonderland Jr.” runs Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors and students, $8 for children 4-12 years old.
“Heathers” runs from Aug. 5 to Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bob Boldrick Theater of the Community Center, 851 E William St. Tickets are $15.
Find tickets at wildhorsetheater.com/shows.

Youth musical theater performances return after 2020 cancellations

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