Peter Pan Jr

Ojai is soon to be Sprinkled in Pixie Dust

OJAI YOUTH ENTERTAINERS STUDIO
WILL TRANSPORT AUDIENCES TO NEVERLAND WITH THEIR PRODUCTION OF PETER PAN JR.

JANUARY 10, 2019
OJAI YOUTH ENTERTAINERS STUDIO will present Peter Pan JR., January 18th though

February 10th on the OYES Youth Center Stage at 907 El Centro St. in Ojai, CA.

PerformancesforP eterPan,JR, willbeheldFridaysat6p.m.,Saturdaysat2p.m. and 6 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Performance Company Cast will perform JAN 18-20, Bears cast will perform JAN 25-27, Tigers cast will perform FEB 1-3, and Lions Cast will perform FEB 8-10, with a special Tot Cast performance on Sunday, February 10 at 11am. Tickets are $10 for for general seating. Tickets for this event are available for purchase at www.oyespresents.org/peterpan and at the door based on availability.

Based on J.M. Barrie's original play, Peter Pan (or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up), Peter Pan JR. is a contemporary adaptation for the youth stage featuring music from the original Tony Award-winning musical, that has been performed around the world and delighted audiences for decades.

“We ’re absolutely thrilled to welcome audiences to our performances of Peter Pan, Jr,” say’s OYES Co-Artistic Director, Daena Santoyo. “We chose this version of Peter Pan because of it’s wit, charm, and dramatic flare. We are extremely proud of the dedication and hard work our young performers, production team, and volunteers, have put into this production. We can’t wait to share the experience with the community.”

The musical features music by Morris (Moose) Charlap with additional music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The show was originally directed, choreographed and adapted by Jerome Robbins.

In P eter Pan JR. W endy, Michael and John Darling befriend Peter Pan when the mysterious boy and a fairy named Tinker Bell enter their nursery in search of Peter’s lost shadow. Peter whisks his new friends away to Neverland, an island with “hardly any space between one adventure and the other.” There, Peter introduces the Darling children to his fellow Lost Boys, children who – like Peter – never grow up. The crew launches into a great adventure where they encounter Brave Girls, led by the incredible Tiger Lily, and Pirates led by the dreaded Captain Hook. Will they ever return home to the nursery?

Peter Pan JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI,

421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com .

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio (OYES) is a non-profit youth organization located in Ojai, CA and provides performing arts education, enrichment, and entertainment for all generations. Through the theatrical process, OYES helps students explore their creative potential and find their authentic voice. Students learn meaningful communication skills on and off the stage, respect, and responsibility for their cast and self. OYES guides students to become confident, engaged, and compassionate. VISIT oyespresents,org to learn more.

Contact:
Daena Santoyo, OYES Artistic Director. 805-646-4300 or daena@ojaiyes.org

PRESS PHOTOS available upon request.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN JR | REVIEW BY SAMI ZAHRINGER

Photography by Kevin King

Ojai Valley News - Friday, January 26, 2018

 

Youth Musical Precipitates an Enjoyable Evening

Review by Sami Zahringer

Lately, we cannot count on rain in the Ojai Valley but you can at least count on it raining, literally, at OYES Youth Center Stage for the next two weekends in their dazzling new production, “Singin’ in The Rain, Jr.,” complete with actual rain on the stage.

Despite all the disruption of the Thomas Fire, Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio (OYES), the-little-acting-company-that-could, has pulled off a triumph to rival last year’s acclaimed production of “Annie” and their smash hit, “The Lion King.” The enthusiastic, hard-working cast and seemingly indefatigable crew have shown a resilience that is genuinely inspiring in its energy and sheer heart, and which fully embodies the spirit of “The show must go on!”

The production features three separate casts plus a Tots’ cast, to accommodate the increasing number of young people OYES is attracting through popular classes in musical theatre, improvisation, acting, voice, and, coming in the Spring, a stage-combat class.

At the time of review, it was the turn of the Tiger Cast to tread the boards, and to watch them belt out the many memorable tunes in the production, so clearly enjoying every minute of it, was an audience-rousing treat. Directors Daena Bleu Santoyo, and Cassie Kelso (Santoyo also wearing a great many other hats in the production team) have coaxed solid performances from their talented actors who are, regrettably, too many to list in full here. The story takes place in 1920s Hollywood, The “talkie” has just arrived in the form of “The Jazz Singer,” shaking up the industry, making studio heads nervous, and marking the transition away from silent cinema. Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the darlings of the silent screen but things behind the scenes are far from harmonious. In addition, diva extraordinaire Lina’s talents are strictly limited to her looks, and her ear-splitting voice and broad New York accent are decidedly more suited to silent movies. How is the studio to produce a talkie with a leading lady like that? Zesty Jasmine Kaiwai is hilariously scene-stealing as Lina, and Melia Rigsby is in fine voice as screen legend Don Lockwood. Aided by his best friend Cosmo, (a truly, inspired ham-it-up, vaudevillian performance from wise-cracking Hunter Keenan in the role) Don persuades studio head R.F. Simpson (Jocelyn Trent) to convert their latest silent movie into a talkie. Enter golden-voiced Kathy Seldon (the delightful Kyra Maal-King) to voice-over Lina’s lines and to steal Don’s heart. Vocal Director, Connie Woodson, has got the best out of the talented principals and the big, all-cast numbers, choreographed by Emma-Rose Allen* are pure razzle-dazzle. Even the youngest performers hit their marks and stay in-step in the dance numbers - remarkable after the six week gap in rehearsals due to the Thomas fire.

Special mention ought to be made of the wonderfully trilling “Moses Supposes” performance by Emily Shurmer as the elocution teacher; Taylor Carney as the Radio Announcer; Ula Leavitt as the frazzled film director; and Alula Alderson as Lina’s best friend, Roz. Costumes and set design by Artistic Director, Megg-Sicotte Kelly, situate us firmly and colorfully in 1920s Tinseltown and, as Technical Director, she has created an ingenious, show-stopping, on-stage rain-maker. Children’s musical theatre might not be your first idea for a pre-dinner treat but, if you have an hour to spare in the next two weekends, there can be few things in the valley more worthy of your time for sheer delight and hilarity than “Singin’ in The Rain, Jr.” with its snappy dialogue foot-tapping, well-known show-numbers, memorable performances, and high production values. OYES goes from strength to strength. “Singin’ in The Rain, Jr.” runs through February 11th at OYES Youth Center Stage, 907 El Centro St. Ojai. Fri. and Sat. at 6pm, and Sat. and Su. matinees at 2pm. Tickets are $10. For more information, go to OYESpresents.org

*With choreography assisted and co-instructed by Sarah Arlon

Singin' in the Rain JR

OJAI YOUTH ENTERTAINERS STUDIO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OYES Presents Singin’ in the Rain JR

January 15, 2018

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio (OYES) proudly presents Singin’ in the Rain, Jr. January 19- Feb 11.

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio will present Singin’ in the Rain, Jr January 19-Feb 11, on the OYES Youth Center Stage at 907 El Centro St. in Ojai, CA.

Performances for Singin’ in the Rain Jr, will be held Fridays at 6 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. (No matinee on February 10). Tickets are $10 for for general seating. Tigers Cast will perform January 19-21, and Lions Cast will perform January January 26-28, and Performance Company cast will perform February 4-11, with a special Tot Cast performance Sunday, Feb 11 at 11am . Tickets for this event are available for purchase at www.oyespresents.org/tickets-sitr .

OYES’ production of Singin’ in the Rain Jr, co-directed by Daena Santoyo and Cassie Kelso, is faithfully and lovingly adapted by Broadway legends Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award winning screenplay Singin' in the Rain, with hilarious situations, snappy dialogue and a hit-parade score of Hollywood standards!

“We are overjoyed to announce performances for Singin' in the Rain, Jr.” Says OYES Co-Artistic Director, Daena Santoyo. “We are incredibly proud of our cast and crew who have fully embraced "the show must go on" -- having returned after several weeks away during the fire incident -- to perform this wonderful show. We couldn't be more thrilled for our young cast members and we can’t wait to welcome the community to our stage to enjoy the hard work our kids have put into this magical show.”

Originally released by MGM in 1952, the film version of Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Conner, won numerous honors including several Academy Awards. Singin' in the Rain is a hysterically funny “backstage” musical set in 1927 Hollywood during the difficult transition from silent films to talking pictures.

Artistic Directors, Megg Sicotte-Kelly and Daena Bleu Santoyo aspire to work with instructors, artists, and craftsman in Ojai and surrounding areas to contribute to the youth productions. The production crew for Singin' in the Rain Jr welcomes fresh faces to a veteran team: Connie Woodson is the productions music and vocal director; Emma-Rose Allen is the choreographer; Sarah Arlon joining the team as assistant choreographer; Steve Pronovost serving as Master Carpenter, heading up set construction with Megg Sicotte-Kelly; Kenny Dahle joined the team as Scenic Artist;  Megg Sicotte-Kelly designing costumes and props; Adam Dunn designing lighting and assisting with technical direction.

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio (OYES) is a non-profit youth organization located in Ojai, CA and provides performing arts education, enrichment, and entertainment for all generations. Through the theatrical process, OYES helps students explore their creative potential and find their authentic voice. Students learn meaningful communication skills on and off the stage, respect, and responsibility for their cast and self.  OYES guides students to become confident, engaged, and compassionate.  

Contact: Daena Santoyo, OYES Artistic Director. 805-646-4300 or daena@ojaiyes.org