ON STAGE
What: Hello, Dolly!, presented by Royal City Musical Theatre
When: April 12 to 28 at the Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Ave., New Westminster
Tickets: $20 to $39. Buy at tickets.massey theatre.com or call 604-521-5050.
Ever since it was formed in 1990, Royal City Musical Theatre has always worked to provide chances for young and aspiring performers to work alongside experienced professionals.
This year is no exception - and, as Hello, Dolly! takes to the Massey Theatre stage in New Westminster starting April 12, two young Burnaby performers are among those enjoying the ride.
Damon Jang and Angela King appear in the dance ensemble for the classic musical, which stars veteran professionals Colleen Winton and David Adams as Dolly Levi and Horace Vandergelder.
"It's wonderful," says King, a 19-year-old who's studying biological sciences at Simon Fraser University. "You learn so much just from watching Colleen and David perform. They're such nice people, and super-sweet. Being able to watch them, from what they started with to the final product, is just amazing."
For Jang, a 26-year-old who's carving out a career in the world of the theatre, the chance to work alongside people like Winton and Adams is one of the appeals of Royal City Musical Theatre.
He points out that it's not often you get to work with such a mix of performers - in this show, there's a dance ensemble, a non-dance ensemble, a kids' chorus and the leads, who include both emerging young talents and the veterans.
"Working with Colleen and David and some of the more experienced professionals, and working with the up-and-coming artists - it's a nice balance," he says, adding he learns a lot from watching Winton's and Adams' rehearsal process.
At the other end of the spectrum, he's also enjoying watching the kids rehearse.
"It's great because all of them have such good, professional attitudes," he says.
Jang says he appreciates director Valerie Easton's skill in bringing together people of many different experience and ability levels.
That's especially true in the big dance numbers - which, he notes, are one of the things that sets Royal City Musical Theatre apart from other companies.
Easton's choreography makes the most of everyone's abilities, he says.
"It's complicated, but not overly complicated," he says, noting Easton gives those with higher skill levels a chance to sparkle and those with less experience a chance to learn from the others.
King agrees, noting that some of the numbers - notably the one with the suitable title of Dancing - are full of lifts and partner work that demands a great deal of the dancers.
Mind you, she's up to the task - she's been dancing since she was eight, and, when she's not at her studies at SFU, she's also a dance teacher at Douglas Ballet Academy.
Both young performers are also happy to have a chance to perform in one of the classics of musical theatre.
"I think it's always great to do work that is classic and fun," Jang says. "It's so accessible to so many people."
King points out that, as an added bonus, much of the music from Hello, Dolly! has become familiar to a new generation thanks to its inclusion in the Pixar animated movie Wall-E.
"Even younger generations now will be able to relate to it," she points out.
Throw in the usual ingredients of a Royal City Musical Theatre production - a full orchestra, stunning costumes by Chris Sinosich, colourful sets by Omanie Elias - and you've got yourself a night that both Jang and King say should appeal to people of all ages.
For Jang, being able to offer up pure entertainment is something that's critical in today's world.
"When your world is so fraught with financial crisis and personal stress - it's nice to go a nice Broadway musical and be uplifted," he says. "It's nice to go to a theatre and forget all of that for a couple of hours."
For more about the production and the cast, see www.royalcitymusicaltheatre. com.
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