Callie Holtermann, Zac Fletcher, and Lewis Chapman from the Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre Senior Group work the soundboard while they observe the Junior Group practicing onstage July 22, 2013 at the Performing Arts Center of Hopewell Valley. (Staff photo by Mark Wetherbee, Jr.)
Talia Berman, Ava Courtney, Julia McInnes and Paul LeMorvan practice July 22, 2013 at the Performing Arts Center of Hopewell Valley in preparation for Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre’s upcoming production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr.” (Photo by Mark Wetherbee, Jr.)
Chloe Lamond, set to perform as Ariel in Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre’s summer production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.,” practices at the Performing Arts Center at Hopewell Valley July 22, 2013. (Photo by Mark Wetherbee, Jr.)
Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre celebrates 15th summer with Grease and The Little Mermaid.
By Jamie Primeau
What better way is there to spend those “Summer Nights” than “Under The Sea”?
Between Aug. 1 and 3, the Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre will present Grease, The School Version Aug. 1 and 3 and Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. Aug. 2 and 3 in productions featuring area youngsters singing and dancing in starring roles.
Celebrating its 15th year, Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre is endorsed by the New Jersey Council of the Arts. Its motto is “Theater for kids … by kids!”
HVCT’s mission is to enrich and enhance the self-esteem and talents of local students through performing arts. Students are involved in every facet of the production, on stage and off.
Each cast features 65 kids, who have met five days a week for the past five weeks during HVCT’s Summer Program. The Junior Group (grades 1 through 5) rehearse in the morning, while the Senior Group (grades 6 through 9) practice in the afternoon.
The Junior Group’s Little Mermaid cast includes Chloe Lamond as Ariel, Tristan Lee as Prince Eric, Matthew Immordino as Sebastian, John Raskin as King Triton and Gillian Lee as Flounder and Tiernan Stover as Scuttle.
Musical director Bernadette Furlong says the production is “a wonderful family show.”
“The music is really snappy and fun. The dancing is wonderful. The kids really are the key factor — they’re just so much fun to watch,” she said.
The Senior Group’s Grease features Jessica Bezek as Sandy, Giuliano Falcone as Danny, Lewis Chapman as Kenickie, Lydia Buckley as Rizzo, Dominique Ryalls as Frenchy, Drew Reynhout as Doody, Callie Holtermann as Marty, Jillian Sing as Jan, Malcolm Bornmann as Roger, Bryan Hill as Teen Angel and Michael Kiss as Johnny Casino.
“In Grease, we have some kids that are really accomplished singers, dancers and actors. For something that’s only been rehearsed for five weeks, you’ll be amazed with what they can do. It’s the high school version, so it’s definitely family friendly,” said Furlong, who is also one of HVCT’s founders.
The 55-year-old Pennington resident has been involved in theater her whole life, but 15 years ago, she and her friend, Claudia Burbage, felt something was missing.
“We noticed that there was a lack of anything for kids that were interested in the performing arts,” she said.
On a shoestring budget, they put together Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre. Little by little over the years, they’ve been able to hire more people to come in and help. Now, she said, “it’s a really well-oiled machine.”
When first starting out, the children’s theater would present vignettes and popular scenes from musical instead of doing full shows. These included musical numbers from Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music and Bye Bye Birdie. Now, they present two productions each summer season, and various other performances throughout the year.
Although Burbage is no longer involved, there is a creative staff that makes the productions possible. In addition to Furlong, it includes producer and artistic director Cathy Sing, vocal and costume director Vicki Krampf, choreographer Jessica Furlong, acting Director Ryan Smith, costume director Carol Sandford, administrative director and artistic consultant Moira Sandford, and technical and set directors Brian Sandford, Christian Lambert and Greg Finlayson.
There is also a team of middle school and high school interns, who help out with everything behind the scenes. For Furlong, the most rewarding aspect is seeing the confidence it creates in the children.
Furlong is no stranger to the stage herself. She grew up singing, dancing and acting. She also studied theater at Rider University.
A self-proclaimed “homegrown girl,” she’s lived in the area her whole life. In high school she performed on the same stage that these productions will be on.
“I had leads in the plays, so it’s kind of nostalgic for me to now come back and watch other kids do it,” she said.
Working with kids isn’t something she only does at the children’s theater. Furlong’s full-time job is working with special education children in the Hopewell Valley School District.
Because she works in the district, she asks each of the HVCT kids to choose two teachers to invite to the performance and then sends special invitations.
“When they know that their teacher is in the audience, they love it,” she said.
“Some of them start out being very shy, and by the end, they are up on that stage dancing and singing and just having a blast,” she said. “The process is really a beautiful thing.”
Parents even notice a difference in their children. Kim Lee, 40, of Pennington, said she has seen a positive change in her kids, who have attended the theatre for the past two years.
Although her kids are involved in several other activities, Lee said the experience with HVCT is unmatched.
“To me, it is the best,” she explained. “The people that run it are just phenomenal. They do a great job making every single kid, no matter what part they get, feel like they’re standing out.”
Lee’s 10-year-old son, Tristan, is Prince Eric and her 9-year-old daughter, Gillian, is Flounder in The Little Mermaid, Jr. Tristan became involved with HVCT a year and a half ago after seeing how much his sister enjoyed it.
“Every day, Gillian came home from camp beaming, raving about how much fun she was having,” Lee recalled. “My son had been doing baseball camp, but after seeing her excitement every day, he was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to try it.’”
This will be Tristan’s first leading role, but he’s no stranger to playing a prince. According to his mother, he caused the family to laugh after claiming, “I’m typecast! I’m always royalty,” since his previous roles include the Prince in “Beauty & The Beast, Jr.” and King of Hearts in “Alice In Wonderland, Jr.”
Overall, the Lee family was ecstatic when the children received their parts.
“Everyone was screaming and jumping around,” Lee said. “My daughter’s best friend Chloe Lamond is Ariel, so the two of them could not have been happier, because Flounder is Ariel’s best friend in the show.”
In fact, friendship is a major attraction for kids who participate. Lewis Chapman, who plays Kenickie in “Grease,” said he made great friends and met a variety of people through the program. The 15-year-old Hopewell resident has been involved for the past four years.
“They have a lot of talented people who are really great at what they do,” Chapman said. “That’s one of those things I really like about HVCT — it’s a serious theatre company, but it’s full of people who are supportive and friendly.”
While it is Chapman’s last year performing in an HVCT production, others are just starting out. Sarah Yancey, a fourth grader at Toll Gate Grammar School, is excited to make her debut as one of Ariel’s siblings, the Mersisters, in Mermaid. (Speaking of sisters, Yancey’s younger sister, Katie, is also in the show.)
“A lot of my friends have been doing it and they’ve been telling me it’s a great experience,” Yancey said. “I get to sing a lot and do a lot of dances. It’s really fun.”
The dances are choreographed by Jessica Furlong, Bernadette Furlong’s 27-year-old daughter, who has also been with HVCT since it started. She was still in middle school when Burbage and her mother started the program, and later became one of their first interns.
She became the choreographer after returning from college. She attended Boston University for undergrad and New York University for graduate school.
She began dancing at a young age, and continued to do so throughout high school and college. She also teaches at a local studio called Pennington Dance. When she’s not working with the theatre or studio, she is a full-time middle school teacher in Manhattan.
Jessica Furlong said working with the kids is her favorite part of HVCT.
“You grow to know some of them so well and then when you see them succeed at something, like putting on a show, it’s really touching,” she explained.
She has high hopes for this year’s productions, saying, “I think this is going to be our best year ever. We have the most talented kids we’ve ever had. I’m just really impressed with them.”
Kim Lee agreed.
“The energy this summer is unbelievable. This is by far the most excited my kids have been yet. They have been honing their skills for a couple years now and they’re really ready to shine,” she said.
An extra incentive to see the productions? HVCT is known for its signature endings, a.k.a. the “Wow Bow.”
“At the end of each show, our choreographer puts together a dance using popular songs that the kids are familiar with,” Bernadette Furlong said. “We try to find something that has to do with the theme of the show. It’s always a surprise and it’s so much fun!”
Showtimes for Grease, The School Version are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1 and Saturday, Aug. 3. Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. is set for two performances as well: Friday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m.
All performances will be at the Performing Arts Center at Hopewell Valley, which is located on the campus of Hopewell Valley Central High School campus, 259 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington.Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens and teachers and are on sale now and can be purchased online at hvct.org, where more information about HVCT is also available.
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