Steps To The Stage
Steps To The Stage
Bringing Childhood Dreams to the Stage: Andrea's Journey with "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
What if your childhood dreams could come to life on stage? This episode of "Steps to the Stage" promises an enchanting look into the world of community theater as we chat with Andrea, the spirited first-time director of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." From the magical storyline of a race car saved from the scrapyard to the charming musical numbers that captivate audiences of all ages, Andrea's passion and dedication to bringing this beloved show to life are nothing short of inspiring. Through her heartfelt recounting, listeners gain insight into the journey from the initial idea to the final curtain call, making this episode a treasure trove for theater enthusiasts.
Andrea doesn't shy away from sharing the highs and lows of her directorial debut. Listen as she opens up about the challenges of leading a production, the thrill of watching young cast members grow, and the invaluable lessons from her mentors. Discover how she navigated the technical aspects, like working with a lighting designer and incorporating projections, and the importance of fostering a fun, creative environment. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of the joys and trials of community theater, highlighted by Andrea's infectious enthusiasm and deep personal connection to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Join us for a behind-the-scenes look that will leave you inspired and entertained!
August 2-16 $12 general admission -- $10 seniors and students
Tickets available at: https://chinocommunitytheatre.seatyourself.biz -- chinochildrenstheatre.org -- or contact the box office at (909) 590-1149
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Starting to love this show like I love this show. They're just getting such a passion for it and it just makes my little five-year-old self so happy seeing that.
Speaker 2:The lights are on the curtain's up. This is Steps to the Stage. Folks at home, do you have a business, small or otherwise, that isn't pulling in traffic the way you want it to? Well, it might be because they don't have something to remember you by, and that's why today we are sponsored by Graphic Details Inc. Signs and displays. They will print out your banners, they'll cut vinyl, they'll do window graphics for the company cars. We're talking business cards, banner stands, LCD displays, tabletop displays, logos, all in full living color. Again, that is Graphic Details Inc here in Chino, California. Thank you so much. Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the 7th Street Theater podcast, where I talk to the community theatre professionals you know and love. I am your host and today we are talking with our friend Andrea for Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang. Welcome back.
Speaker 1:Hi, it's great to be back.
Speaker 2:So why don't you start by telling us what Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is for anyone who isn't familiar?
Speaker 1:So, to put it simply, chitty, chitty, bang Bang is about this race car, who was driven in the Grand Prix and unfortunately crashed Years later, was found at a junkyard by these two siblings, jeremy and Jemima, and they try to save it from being scrapped into metal. So they asked their father to buy it, and he does, and he rebuilds it into this beautiful new motor car.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, that sounds really fun. Yeah, and it's a musical. Yes, yes, yes, okay. So what's that been like?
Speaker 1:So it's been really fun. We just finished teaching all the music and the choreo, so that's been really fun. And then we're just going through run-throughs till the end of time until we open. And then we're just going through run-throughs till the end of time until we open, and then this is your first show that you're directing here. Yes, yes, first show ever directing I do have some experience assistant directing over at Don Lugo, but this is my first time truly being the director.
Speaker 2:And so what has that been like, tell?
Speaker 1:me please. Oh, it's been a journey. Tell me please. Oh, it's been a journey from submitting the show to building the team meeting, just coming up with ideas, things like that. It's been such a crazy ride and I'm so happy to have experienced this. And, yeah, just ecstatic is the word to explain it.
Speaker 2:It's like a year-long process basically.
Speaker 1:Just about yeah, especially considering our timeline for when we opened to when the submission forms came out. It's basically a year of my life dedicated to this Insane.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So you came up with this in its entirety, you submitted for the show and you did the whole thing, so you're doing this as like a solo director, right.
Speaker 1:Yes, but I do have some help. I do have an assistant director, my good friend, andrew Landeros, and we do have a student director, also a good friend of mine, sarah Toison. So, yes, I do have some assistance and, yes, my mentor, miss Donna Rice, who I love dearly.
Speaker 2:So what gave you the idea for this show, to want to do this show?
Speaker 1:So funny story. I didn't know this was a stage production. When I got the submission form I had so many ideas. I'm like, okay, first I need to make sure that these are actual stage productions. So I went to MTI For those who don't know, mti is a website where you can go and look up productions for theater and I was like, okay, let's look at the junior shows. So I'm looking through, I'm like, oh my God, these are so cute. Very last on the list was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Junior. And I was in the living room with my mom and I go, mom, you're never going to guess what's a musical. And she's like, oh, my gosh what. And I say Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. And I go, there's no way, I'm not going to submit this now. So yeah, that's basically how it came up.
Speaker 2:So do you have a love for Chitty, chitty Bang Bang?
Speaker 1:I do so for those who don't know me, I'm a Disney girl and Disney adult for life.
Speaker 1:My love for Disney is infinite, but when I was younger it wasn't that way, and my love for Disney was replaced by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when I was a kid. So I watched it on VHS at my grandparents house, then got it on DVD, watched it at home, and now I'm watching it on streaming and yeah, so I've just had a love for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang since the dawn of time really that's crazy, because I, like, I was aware of the movie, but I had never seen it before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my mom, she, she was introduced to it as a kid. It would just come up on like the one channel where I show movies and she's like I have to show my, show my kids this. So, yeah, she showed my brother and then she showed me and here I am. That's so cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so cool because I've never, yeah, really had much of a passion either way. For that it's so cool, because I've never really had much of a passion either way. For that it's so cool that you have such a connection to it yeah. Would you mind talking about the casting process for this show?
Speaker 1:So, yes, the casting process, so at auditions I had been in an audition room before, but being somewhat the sole decider was kind of crazy. I was like whoa, I have this power. So there were just some people that when they came in I was like okay, this is a good choice. And then there were just other people that I just knew and so like we had the callbacks and there were just some pairings that came together. It was literally like magic, yeah. And it was so crazy how perfect it was, because literally after it happened, the people behind the table, like we all made our notes and we looked at each other and it was the exact same thing. We all had the exact same ideas. So it really just fell into place. Like it wasn't really a hard casting process. Literally everything was just so perfect. So, yeah, that's, that's really cool that it was so like perfect.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, yeah, so how far along into rehearsals are you?
Speaker 1:So we're actually almost done with every. I think I mentioned before. We finished teaching all the music, all the choreography. We just have one scene left to block and then we'll just be doing run-throughs until tech week, Yep, and then we open. How many songs are in the show? Ooh, a lot. I would think 14, 14, 15.
Speaker 2:Wow, okay, and then how many of those are like big ensemble-y?
Speaker 1:Ensemble ones, I would want to say about four, Okay. So yeah, a lot of them are like the solo pieces little smaller pieces, but yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's great. So yeah, so it's been yeah about how long, would you say?
Speaker 1:As of right now, about a month and a half, a month and a half Of rehearsal Nice, that's nice.
Speaker 2:So what do you want to talk about the set?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the set is pretty. It's nothing too crazy, it's pretty simple. You know, we just have an upstage platform. We're going to be using projections a lot, so, yeah, upstage platform with stairs leading down it. We have a flat stage right that we're using another platform to help build levels. So, yeah, pretty basic. We're pretty I don't want to say reliant, but pretty reliant on those projections because I don't want to give too much away from the story, but they really help with this story and specificity.
Speaker 2:Oh, how exciting We'll just have to see the show.
Speaker 1:You'll have to see it to see what I mean.
Speaker 2:And who is the set designer?
Speaker 1:Our set designer is Mr Bill Rice. Hey, what's it like working with him. Awesome, I love the Rices, so I wanted to get their help as much as possible. So when thinking about the team, I immediately wanted Miss Donna's help because, you know, as a first time director, I was like Miss Donna, I need help. And then set design I was like, ok, well, I know Mr Rice does it, so immediately went to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I imagine the costumes for this show have got to be pretty incredible, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're pretty awesome because it's two place settings during the show, so one in Act 1 and we go somewhere else in Act 2. So it's really fun getting to work with the costumers, seeing what we can do to really differentiate the places. So that's been fun. And then just like other pieces like we go to a fair where there are Morris dancers, so we took inspiration from traditional Morris dancers, like with the flaps on fair where there are Morris dancers. So we have like we took inspiration from like traditional Morris dancers, like with the flaps on the vest and things like that. We have bamboo sticks because they dance with bamboo sticks, and then our Tootsweets factory they're going to be dancing with. They have like little cute matching chef costumes. So it's really fun and I feel like the costumes really help bring the story to life.
Speaker 2:As with any show, you know, yeah, yeah, it sounds like you have a wide variety of costumes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really fun.
Speaker 2:Who's the costume? Director?
Speaker 1:So our costume director is Amanda Myers. Okay, I believe this is her first time costume designing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like I don't think I've heard that name before.
Speaker 1:I do know she helped out with Shrek Jr, Okay, and I heard that she was just really fantastic. So I was like hey, Amanda, do you want a costume? Chitty chitty, bang, bang. And thankfully she said yes and she's been doing a fantastic job Awesome.
Speaker 2:I love working with her. Do you know who the choreographer is?
Speaker 1:Yes, choreographer Maddie McGowan. She also worked on Shrek Jr. I adore her. She's doing such a great job. I already told you, I already told her next, if and when I direct a musical again, I am calling you first. What a compliment. I know I didn't even give her much because I completely trusted her and just watching the rehearsals I'm just like, yes, I love it. And like with Mule Bamboo, that's a specific scene. For those who don't know, dick Van Dyke originated the role of the lead character, caraticus Potts, and if you also don't know, he has like these iconic Dick Van Dyke kicks where it's a very high kick and I wanted that in the show and she put it in, so it's very amazing. So, yeah, it's been very fun to work with her.
Speaker 2:Anything else about the choreo that you'd like to mention or add?
Speaker 1:It's just it's just really fun. It's fun choreo Even some of the slower songs that we have choreo in. They're beautiful, it's beautiful to watch. So a lot of hard work and passion went into the choreography as well.
Speaker 2:That's so great to hear. If you need high-quality headshots or other professional photo work done, visit Zochi Neri Photography at fbme slash xnearyphotos. Would you mind talking about the music?
Speaker 1:So, yeah, music Direction was by Kelsey Rebergen. Oh, okay, yep, I love Kelsey. I've known her since like 2018, I think, so it's been really fun. I know she's been like studying music. I really wanted her her specifically to help out and she's just been doing such a great job with the kids. Um, they caught on with her so quickly. It was crazy. Like within the first music rehearsal, I think, we learned Mule Bamboo and it's a fast song like, and it's almost like there's a lot of wording and it's really fast and she was just. She was just able to get it out of them. And with the harmonies because some of the harmonies can be ridiculous for a junior show there's one song where there's just a harmony the entire time and Kelsey was able to get it out of them and just keep working with them and she's just done a fantastic job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I always love hearing about Kelsey's work and what they're doing these days, because he said they are very, very talented. Yeah, would you mind talking a little bit more about being a first time director again?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's been a little not gonna lie stressful because I I almost felt like I went into this kind of blindly, like I would ask something. So what do I do at this first production meeting? Share your vision? Okay, how do I?
Speaker 2:do that? Yeah, in what form? How?
Speaker 1:like I remember at the production meeting, I looked, I was looking to miss don. I'm like how do I start? Okay, what next? Okay, and that's basically how it went. But as the time went on, I just kind of started just being more assertive with myself, because that was really hard, because this is like the first time I'm truly in charge of something and I've I've never done that before. So it was like really uncomfortable. Like everyone was just like you tell me what you want. I'm like but are you okay with doing it? And I'm like they're like just tell me and I'm like okay. But now, now that we're like a month and a half in, like I said, I have like I'm more confident in being you know director decisions.
Speaker 2:So I have to say I'm proud of myself for that. I'm proud of you, thank you. Awesome, yeah, being the person in control and in charge has got to be such a weird yeah feeling.
Speaker 1:It's like because cool, but like yeah, like I said, I've never done it, so it's like quite a switch yeah it's like I've worked at. You know, like I said, don lugo, I was in charge of the choreography, but I always had to make sure that the director liked it. You know, I had to tweak things, considering what the actor's abilities were and things like that, but now I have to, I'm able to say I'm able to tweak things. Yes, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what has been the most rewarding thing about this process and what has been more difficult for you?
Speaker 1:So rewarding has to be just seeing the kids working together and starting to love the show like I love this show. They're just getting such a passion for it and it just makes my little like five-year-old self so happy seeing that because we have a young cast it's eight to 16. So it's just I love working with kids. You know I aspire to be a high school drama teacher, so getting able to teach them certain things about theater and acting is very rewarding, because I found that I love to teach that and I would say the most difficult thing is knowing how to, to not be in my head so much. I've looked, I'm constantly overthinking things and I know I have people to go to help too, but unfortunately it's taken me a little longer to go to them for help. Eventually I do, because then the overthinking is like okay, I need to ask someone. So thankfully I feel like more. Now I'm a little more comfortable with that, but I would definitely say that was probably the hardest part.
Speaker 2:You mentioned earlier that you're using projections for your show. Would you talk about sort of your tech booth that you have for this production?
Speaker 1:Yes, so as of right now, we have Donya from Ayala who's going to be light designing the show. I still have I've shared a little bit about my vision with her. She has. She's going to start coming in so we can start getting to talk more about it. But I really want it to be, like the way I can describe it fun, very like use bright colors and when we get to the more grim parts of the show not really grim, but grim really show that. Me personally, I don't know too much about lights, so that's really all I can say is like just trying to use bright colors and trying to make sure that we can convey the theme and the moods of each scene with the lighting as well.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah yeah, with the lighting as well, okay yeah. So, going back to talking about sort of what you meant with sort of what you learned and what you didn't learn, you mentioned talking with Donna, who is a mentor of yours. What was that like? Working with someone who you've sort of looked up to for so long and taken such so, like I mentioned, I absolutely adore Miss Donna.
Speaker 1:She's been a mentor for so long. I started out here in 2016, and she's been working here for longer, so before she reached out to me letting me know she would be my mentor for this project, I wanted to ask her to be sort of that position.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I knew I was going to need help as a first-time director. I'm like I need help and the only person really I wanted to go to was Miss Donna and thankfully she reached out to me. I'm like, oh, how funny I was already I was going to text you, so it's been really fun. She's been so helpful. She's been so great. Anytime I, anytime I had a question, she's just helped me so much at helping putting my mind at ease.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Yeah, what else have you learned from other mentors of yours that have been helpful in this journey?
Speaker 1:So I've worked at Don Lugo, like I mentioned before, my old high school drama teacher, miss Annette Deming. I worked with her as a choreographer and an assistant director and she, what I mainly learned from her was don't be afraid to explore an actor's choices, because when I was in high school she, when we were doing a show we did mostly plays. Anytime she didn't really like the intention behind a line. She would say make another choice, make another choice. And we had to find different ways to say something. She's like keep that. And then you know we'd have to keep going. So it really showed the importance of making choices and how the littlest things can affect the storytelling. So yeah, and then there's the other one, who she wasn't my high school teacher. She's the current high school teacher at Donglu, miss Candida Salaya.
Speaker 1:I've really only worked with her as like a choreographer, not like a student turned director type, and she really showed me how to have fun with the show Because especially last year during their fall production, they did Clue. So if you know Clue, it's a very fun show, very silly. It allows for a lot of character choices, it allows for a lot of improv-ing, it allows to just have let characters have fun when they can, because there are times we know we have to stick to the story. You know things like that. But allowing characters to have fun with their characters truly brings the story to life. And when you see the characters having fun, the audience has fun, everyone in the process, people backstage have fun, people up in the booth have fun. So that's really what I've learned from them and what I'll cherish truly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Making sure that your people have fun is one of the most important things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Do you happen to know the show dates for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
Speaker 1:Yes, so our show dates are August 2nd through the 17th, so the first three weekends of first three weekends of August. We have two Sunday shows, on the 4th and 11th at 2.30. So those are our matinees.
Speaker 2:All right, Well again, thank you so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 1:Of course. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2:And be sure to check out Chitty, chitty Bang Bang.
Speaker 1:All right, thank you, thank you.
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