Victoria Gebert, 8, of West Windsor may be the youngest member of the Princeton Festival’s “Sweeney Todd” ensemble, which continues its production through July 16 at Lawrenceville School. But the third grade student at Princeton Day School already has some serious credits to her name. ##M:[more]##
Victoria was seen on the McCarter stage two years ago when she played the part of a little boy who loses both of his parents in the now-defunct Opera Festival of New Jersey’s production of “Wozzeck.” Her sisters Katharina, 10, and Theresa, 12, also appeared in that production.
Music and theater run in the family. Her mother, Brigette, plays piano and was involved in theater for nine years in her youth. Victoria studies cello with Suzanne Dicker of West Windsor. Theresa plays violin and Katharina plays violin.
Victoria is the only child of Brigette and Reinhold Gebert to be born in the United States. The family moved to the United States eight years ago when Reinhold began working as a theoretical physicist at the Institute for Advanced Study. He now commutes to New York for his job with an investment bank. Brigette, now a stay-at-home mom, worked as a human geneticist in Germany. The girls also have a brother Max, 13, who is a sixth grade student at Grover Middle School. He is a gold medal winner on the Special Olympics track and field team.
The family speaks German at home and the children are all bilingual. This summer her sisters, also students at PDS, are on a four-week trip to live with their grandmother and attend a German school where they are studying German, Latin, and math..
In “Sweeney Todd” Victoria saves her father from Todd’s meat-grinding machine. She also appears in chorus and ensemble scenes.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Princeton Festival, Kirby Arts Center, Route 206, Lawrenceville, 800-595-4849. Steven Sondheim musical thriller is the premiere performance for the new company. $25 to $75. Continuing Saturday, July 9, and Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16.
