- By Thresa Gibian
- Around Town
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Running to Places, the non-profit theatre company for youth across Tompkins County, presents its 2009 Spring Showcase. The brightest rising stars of song and dance from every corner of the region bring the best of Broadway to Ithaca High School’s Kulp Auditorium, April 17-19, Fridays and Saturdays at 7, Sundays at 2.This, the company’s second annual showcase, features two dozen musical theatre numbers from shows like Wicked, Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia, Honk!, Phantom of the Opera, Rocky Horror Show, and many more.
Director Joey Steinhagen describes what the showcase is all about: “We get to do not only classic favorites, but also off-the-beaten-path gems. There are shows we might never get a chance to do because they feature casts that are too small or have material that isn’t appropriate for our young company – that have individual numbers too fantastic for us to resist. The Spring Showcase is our chance to check some favorites off of our wishlists.”
The cast of over 50 middle and high school-aged performers hail from every corner of Tompkins County. “Being inclusive is part of our mission,” explains Executive Director Gail Belokur. “Our company in general and the Spring Showcase in particular brings talented, passionate youth together from Candor, Dryden, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield, and Trumansburg.
Choreographer Todd Peterson sees the Spring Showcase as a laboratory. “There will be numbers from Honk!, Footloose, and Little Shop of Horrors – a preview of the rest of our season," he says. "But in the showcase, we’re free to experiment with the pieces and explore what is possible with the staging and choreography outside of the constraints of a full production. People may be surprised with how we interpret some of the numbers.” Peterson also enjoys working with the wide range of ages and experiences among the performers. “Our cast extends from ages 11-18. The raw talent is amazing. There are veteran performers about to head off to college who are inspirational mentors to their younger peers – and there are some at the younger end of the spectrum who will blow the doors off the theatre!”
Steinhagen and Peterson also will perform.
Belokur (who also served as Set Designer), Steinhagen, and Peterson have collaborated with Matthew Mills (Technical Director and Lighting Design), Maxine Etchinson (Costume Design), George Belokur (Sound Design) and Molly Hennighausen (Stage Manager).
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