Jane Emerick
Special to The Chief
Thanks to Road Trip Production's upcoming show of Our Favourite Broadway you may never have to see another musical again.According to the director, Ryan Mooney, the upcoming performance will give the audience the opportunity to view a selection of 45 musical numbers from more than 25 Broadway shows.
"We are basically trying to give people a taste of songs they would recognize, as well as introducing them to new stuff," he said. Mooney said there will be songs from the Broadway productions of Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Wicked and Avenue Q, to name a few. The Road Trip Productions show will be a musical that combines singing, dancing and acting.
The year-old production company is the brainchild of Mooney and friend Shayan Bayat, and through it the two have combined their theatrical backgrounds to provide musical theatre training camps for young people.
Mooney, a Howe Sound Secondary grad, and Bayat have already held two camps in Squamish, with growing popularity, and a third will be held this summer.
The program, which will run in July, incorporates acting, voice instruction and dancing. There is also a performance put on at the end of the camps by participants.
Mooney said the programs allow for talented youngsters to practice their artistic skills. He said he believed the camps for those aged 7-18, provided an area of training in Squamish that meets the demand of the artistic community.
"I knew there was a need," he said. "I think that it is a really positive way for people to spend time together and meet new people."
Mooney studied performing at the Canadian College of Performing Arts and credits his decision to direct ins-tead of act with drama teacher Jan-ice Caroll at Howe Sound Secondary.
"Directing was something I was interested in and felt I was better at," he said. "She really encouraged me to direct."The cast for the upcoming musical, which will be running from March 3-11, is made up of more than 70 performers ranging from young and old throughout the Sea to Sky corridor.
The actors are grouped into 20-member casts to perform four sections and Mooney said the large amount of participants was a sign of Squamish's talent pool running deep.
"I think people are going to be shocked with the young talent we are able to encourage through the programs," Mooney said.Veronica McPhee (from The Sound of Music and the Sea to Sky Singers) along with performer Melissa Bachert are the musical directors of the show and Erik Musseau and Stan Thomson, along with Bayat, are the producers.
Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and will be held March 3 and 4, and 8-11. 2 p.m. shows will also be held on March 4 and 11. All shows take place at the Eagle Eye Theatre.
Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 for children. They can be purchased in advance at Billie's Bouquet.
The opening of the performance on March 3 will also be the first opportunity to resister for this summer's musical theatre camps.
To reserve tickets for the show or for information about the camps, email Mooney at mooney_ryan@ shaw.ca or call 604-807-9268.
