Steps To The Stage
Steps To The Stage
Imagination Takes Center Stage: Inside Seussical the Musical
Step into the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as 7th Street Community Theatre presents "Seussical the Musical," a production where imagination takes center stage and the boundaries between reality and fantasy beautifully blur.
This episode of Steps to the Stage takes listeners behind the curtain with the creative team bringing this beloved show to life. At the heart of this production is Mickey Estrella, making her directorial debut with the very show that sparked her theatrical journey as a child performer in 2013. Now studying directing at Hofstra University, Mickey returns to her theatrical home to guide a new generation of performers through the colorful worlds of Horton, JoJo, and the Cat in the Hat.
"This show is about having fun and creativity and where your imagination can take you," Mickey explains, highlighting the production's focus on childlike wonder and unbridled creativity. Working alongside co-director Xochitl Neri and musical director Juan Valazquez, the team has assembled a diverse cast of performers ranging from age 4 to 20, creating a vibrant ensemble that embodies the spirit of community theater.
The conversation explores fascinating technical elements, from the rotating set pieces that transform between Whoville and the Jungle of Nool to the deliberately stylized costumes that suggest character without overpowering the performers. Juan discusses the challenges and joys of working with varied musical styles, while the team celebrates the production's remarkable preparedness – having completed full run-throughs three weeks before opening night.
What emerges is a beautiful story of theatrical mentorship and growth, where performers become directors, students become teachers, and community theater fulfills its mission of nurturing talent that returns to enrich the very place where their artistic journey began. Don't miss "Seussical the Musical" running August 8-23 at the Chino Community Theatre – tickets are selling fast for this celebration of creativity, community, and the power of imagination!
Experience the magic for yourself! Grab tickets at ChinoChildrensTheater.org, follow @CCCTbuzz on social media, or support these emerging artists by calling the box office at 909-590-1149.
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Welcome to Steps to the Stage a 7th Street Community Theatre podcast. Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the podcast where we talk to the community theatre professionals you know and love. I'm Kirk Lane. I'll be your host today, so excited to talk to the creative team from Suzical the Musical, which is our next performance on the Chino Community Theater stage. This is a children's theater production and today we are very happy to be speaking with Mickey and Sochi, who are our directors, and Juan, who is the musical director. Correct, yes, so welcome back. It's great to be back, sochi, who are our directors, and Juan, who is the musical director, correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, so welcome back, it's great to be back.
Speaker 1:Well, we're so excited that you guys are here today to talk to us and to talk to all of our listeners. I'm very excited. I think this might be your first or have you been on?
Speaker 2:This is my first time on the podcast.
Speaker 1:First time on the podcast.
Speaker 3:First time on the podcast.
Speaker 1:Second time and Sochi was part of the Shrek podcast. That is actually our number two podcast, number two and we still get downloads every single day. That's awesome From all across the world, international as well. Hello to everyone internationally. I don't think we've actually ever said that Hola. So we really appreciate everyone that's listening in Europe and South America and Asia. So it's really been nice over the last couple of years to expand this podcast to where we're at. Today's, a busy day oh, my gosh, you probably hear my breath. Not only do we get set up for this, but Juan just had a music rehearsal in here before we set up. We have got our whole creative team out on stage building your set for the performances that start, I believe, a week from today, or a week from two, week, week and a half, okay, well, I can calm down a little bit.
Speaker 1:Eight days so yesterday was nine. So, yeah, and so obviously, we love our listeners to learn more about these productions and we want you to come and see it, of course. Well, if you're in Germany, book a ticket, come on out, you're going to have a great time. But we really want our local patrons to come by and get tickets and come and see these very, very talented cast.
Speaker 2:Mickey, why don't you start off, since you're our first time, one of our first time guests and give us a little bit about your vision, because I also think this might be your first time directing a production. This is my directorial debut at 7th Street and I'm super excited. This was Seussical, was the first show that I ever did ever and it holds a very special place in my heart because this old it's Possible was my first audition song here for Beauty and the Beast Jr, so it's a very special song for me. Yeah, the whole show is just about having fun and creativity and where your imagination can take you and where your mind can go, like where your anxiety comes from, is the same place where all of your creative bits come from. So it's all just starts right in your mind. Um, and inner childlike wonder and not holding yourself back and just really playing with your imagination and having a fun time. So the whole cast has such a fun time performing the entire show. I've made sure to ask every day like are you guys having fun?
Speaker 4:they're like we have so much fun.
Speaker 2:And the last two weeks we've just been blocking, blocking, blocking, and they've incorporated some of their ideas, because, just as much as this is our show, they're the ones performing it and it is their show too. So I've wanted to make sure that they get to do all of the fun stuff that they've come up with. And so yesterday, or not yesterday, thursday I was like you guys go watch a production of Seussical, and if there's anything that you guys like, please bring it back. I love that.
Speaker 1:Yes, Got to get them involved right. Of course, and I got to pause for a moment and let our listeners know. So Mickey has been a part of this theater since 2013. Of this theater since 2013 and probably has been in more productions, either as an actor or part of the crew or helping with the creative part of it and then ended up, after being a part of our superstars group here and being a part of many productions, you're going to university in New York with a focus on theater.
Speaker 2:Am.
Speaker 1:I correct in that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I attend Hofstra University right now and I'm earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater production with a focus in directing.
Speaker 1:And you've had directing experience while going to school and productions in New York.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was able to direct one of our theater alumni who was or like 7th Street alumni, who was a superstar, sarah Hugenrod. I was able to direct her play that she wrote fresh out of COVID Celebrity Crush, a killer comedy at school in the student rep festival, which was really awesome because we both went to Hofstra too.
Speaker 1:So I know we're talking about Seussical, but I think it's so important that people are listening, especially people that are part of community theater, to know that you can start as a small child, like the cast that you have, that end up becoming a part of maybe different troops or groups, not only within our theater but their schools, and then the possibility to go on and go on to university and college and to get an education, and that you're bringing it back here on your break is fantastic. We love it and I just wanted to share that with everyone. So we're going to skip over to Sochi, who has been a part of our theater for many, many years as well, largely producing right.
Speaker 4:Yes, producing raffles, makeup photography, all of it.
Speaker 1:And so now you're helping out on the directing side as well. So why don't you give us some insight into the experience thus far?
Speaker 4:So I want to say that you asked emotional questions just now.
Speaker 1:And that's good.
Speaker 3:So, I'm sitting and crying my eyes out inside.
Speaker 4:I'm like am I going to get it together? Watching Mickey take ownership of this has been amazing.
Speaker 1:Isn't it great. It's the coolest thing ever. It's fantastic.
Speaker 4:I'm going to cry. Sorry, you guys can't see me but I'm sobbing like a baby over here. Just I've I agreed to direct with her.
Speaker 1:I've been more on the back side of the creative side, so with the costuming and kind of just managing all of that she's just owned the heck out of this and as her mother, I am so proud Like so proud and as a friend and as the host for today and as someone that's been involved and my kids have taken the same path in that they're getting their education in theater and you know we have a wonderful individual in Mr Paul Larson. Paul and Karen that started this and they've been on several times and we've had some great episodes with them. But it's just so fantastic to see the pay it forward. We see it every single day and you walk in.
Speaker 1:In a day like today, I came, we do a Saturday morning breakfast, shout out to the breakfast bunch, and we meet on Saturdays and we solve the world's problems or maybe create more, but largely it's a discussion around the theater and the things that we do and the group. You know most of the guys are out there helping with the set. So you know it really puts the community in community theater. Yes, definitely. Then, when we have a production like this where we have what is our age range, by the way, we have well.
Speaker 2:Our original age range was 8 to 22. Yes, and we've ended up with 4 to 20, with little Jasper Pyle.
Speaker 1:Jasper, and he was just a part of the Mole Hill Stories, which was brilliant. So it's so fantastic and there's someone part of the Larson legacy as well down the way. So before we came in here, you were running a rehearsal one and you've been a part of our theater for.
Speaker 3:I first started here in two. I think it was 2017 when Jesse Larson, jesse Pyle, took a chance on me and asked me to come and be a part of In the Heights, and it was very scary because I actually did not come from this world. I came from a band world. I played trumpet and I was a band teacher. That's what I went to school for and I ended up long-term subbing for the band teacher at Ontario High School when Jesse first started there and just randomly one day at lunch, she turned to me and says hey, I'm looking for someone to be a part of a show and she's like we're doing In the Heights. Again, I'm not part of this world. I didn't know what that was Right and I was like sure, I love to learn, I love to try things out, and so I came and I told the story at the end of the run that after the first couple of rehearsals, I was ready to quit. I was like this is a lot.
Speaker 4:It is a lot. I've never done this before.
Speaker 3:I was like I understand what's going on. I was like, but I've never done this before and I was really glad that I pushed through because since then I've done. This is, I think, my sixth show here. Wow, right, so I've done. This is my sixth show that I've done here at Ontario I'm sorry at Chino, and then I work at Ontario High School now yes. And so I've done four shows.
Speaker 3:I've seen several productions there that you've been a wonderful experience and the kids have inspired me to start to dive more into the world. I started doing auditions here and there. I'm busy all the time, but it's been fun to get that experience so that I can bring that experience to them Like, hey, this is what I learned.
Speaker 1:And are you part of an upcoming production as well?
Speaker 3:As far as with Ontario.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but outside of here.
Speaker 3:no, I work with the Ontario High School band as well.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so.
Speaker 3:I do all the music there working with those groups.
Speaker 1:And I think I did a voiceover for you a while back. Yeah, it was a lot of fun yeah.
Speaker 3:And it really helped tell the story of our show. But yeah, so this is my sixth show here. I regularly get asked to come back, which is a lot of fun, but it's always hard because, being a high school teacher, it's a lot of time commitment there, so when I have time, I try to do my best to be a part. So when they reached out to me, I was like let me double check my schedule before I say yes and I was like 100%, I'll come back.
Speaker 1:And so working with four-year-olds to what was our 20 for this one, 20. That's got to be exciting. Exciting not only as a director, but as a musical director and understanding someone who's just just getting their voice, let alone someone that might be trained. So talk a little bit about that in the rehearsal. So it's really fun.
Speaker 3:So I really one of my favorite things here about the community theater is that we have a wide range of talent and experience that come in. Agree, we get. We get kids that come in who this is their first show, they've never done anything before in their life. Uh, and that's true for every single show.
Speaker 3:I remember when we did In the Heights, our T, who played Usnavi, came in and he was a drummer, never sang before, and all of a sudden he got cast as Usnavi, and so it's wonderful seeing that, because sometimes it just gives them something that they didn't realize they had in them, right, and so it is my favorite thing to see these kids grow from I don't want to do this, I don't want to, I'm scared, I'm scared To now being like I want the lead, I want to be in the solo, and so it's wonderful seeing that age range and all the growth that they do, not only in the time during the show, but seeing them in shows afterwards, like Mickey, I think we did. We did Mary Poppins was our first show and that's when I got to meet this team, and so seeing them grow and seeing Addie grow and seeing the other people who were tiny little kids in that show and now seeing them go off and do wonderful things.
Speaker 1:It's a wonderful experience, like directing. Yeah, seussical, the musical right, yes, oh yeah, it is just, I have to say, as not only you know a father of people that are involved as well, but you know, you feel like a father to all these kids because we do not only the superstars, but then we're involved in our local high schools and the things that we do there and we, you know, travel to a couple of places together. So it's been, it's been great to see that again, as we mentioned, the kind of pay it forward, so let's kind of go back and go. You want to direct, so why Seussical?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this was the first show I ever did. I did it at uh Oxford Preparatory Academy in 2013. And a lot of our set pieces that we used were from this theater, because a couple of our kids in the show at my school- were involved here, and so mr larson was like hey, do you want to use some of our set pieces?
Speaker 2:we heard you're doing the show. We're like great. And I was bird girl, I think number five, and there's the sweetest picture of me and addie and I'm like hugging her as a bird girl. And now she's a bird girl on the show, which is very special. But yeah, this show is just really holds a very special place in my heart because this is what drew me into theater initially and what got me started here was a bunch of my friends who were in that production were like you would love our theater over here if you like it so much over here.
Speaker 2:I was like, okay, cool. Then the next winter I did the Beauty and the Beast workshop and then I was cast as a little baby fork in the next production of it and so it was very special.
Speaker 2:But I have always loved just the story of the imagination and you know everybody kind of telling JoJo like you're taking your brain too far, Like, don't be too imaginative, Like, just be normal. He like you're taking your brain too far, Like, don't be too imaginative, Like, just be normal. He's like, but I don't want to be normal, I don't really like being normal, and just the relationship between the cat and the hat and JoJo is just so special and I just love, love, love the show and so I've always wanted to direct it. So for it to be my directorial debut here is very scary and also really exciting at the same time Of course.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know it's good that you have that fear I always say I'm I'm a performer and I've done thousands of shows and there's not a time that I'm not nervous before I start on stage, there's not a time, and I think that keeps you alive and keeps you focused.
Speaker 1:I think that's good as well for you, well for your cast and the rest of your team to know that you're human, because I think that's important when we're trying to bring that story out and, as you mentioned that inspiration, I'm excited to see it come out on stage. Let's talk a little bit about casting and that process and thinking about your cast, sochi, and working with the creative team. Give us a little bit of insight into that.
Speaker 4:Sure. So we kind of had an idea that a lot of the kids were going to be interested, because of our big age range, to come and participate and we mainly wanted we originally said 18, but then Mickey brought up a good point that a lot of our college students were still in town and we wanted to give them an opportunity to perform, so we went to 22. But we had 75 kiddos come and audition and ended up with a cast of 34.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we ended up with a cast of 34. And it was so, so difficult.
Speaker 1:So is it a dual cast situation? No, so everyone is part of every production. Yes, everybody I know we do that sometimes importantly, so that we can bring in more people and expose them to it. So we've got everyone we had to.
Speaker 4:You know, there were a lot of factors. Obviously, talent was not lacking at all. That was the hardest part. Obviously not, talent was not lacking at all. That was the hardest part. But we just had to narrow it down to make it fun for everybody and to get their time and moment to shine.
Speaker 4:So, we have our who's and we have our jungle and they have their moment. There's a couple that are both, but not really Um um, but we really paid attention to the chemistry from the very beginning, like how they would sit together in the rooms and they chatted or just were keeping to themselves, and we knew this cast needed to be outgoing and fun and would go with the flow. And we've not been disappointed. Everybody. What we need you to do this Absolutely Well, let's turn it to this. They were very coachable from the very beginning and that is obviously super important as a director to be able to give somebody notes and not none of them take anything personal. They know that it's for the benefit, but they're. Mickey has given them that opportunity to share their feedback and what they would want to do, and she's been very open, so I'm thankful for that. That's fantastic.
Speaker 2:Everybody has been getting open, so I'm I'm thankful for that that that's fantastic.
Speaker 3:Everybody has been getting along.
Speaker 4:I'm sad you missed two weeks. Like I know, they grew. They grew in those two weeks. I got to see the growth today, so it's been great. And last wednesday, yeah, tuesday tuesday we had a, an unofficial wednesday run run through wednesday wednesday, and a comment that was made by a um, not really a veteran, but of different theaters as well as here said to her and I was there when it happened I have never been in a production where, after when we still have three weeks left that we've done a full run through, he goes what do we do now? We're like we perfect it. That's what we do. But it was cool hearing it from a young kid, a young actor, that I've never had this happen before. But it's really. I'm here, but it's her. She's Juan and Maddie are choreographing.
Speaker 1:Really. Let's just speak to the importance of. Not only did you get an education here at this theater, but you went and got a real education in the sense that you went to university. And there's things that can, because when you're in a certain environment, there's a culture around it sometimes, and sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's in between, but it's great that you can go away learn some from real professional not that we're not professionals people, but we are community theater and it's all volunteer and and not everyone has the opportunity to go. But it's so fantastic to hear someone that goes and gets that education and brings that back.
Speaker 1:But then to get that feedback as well, you know you guys have to go through some hard decisions. You said you had 70 plus people auditioning and hey, listeners, you're not going to get cast in everything audition for retweet. It's hard, it's really really hard. But don't give up. Use it as a learning experience, use it as inspiration. As they've described, sometimes there's a certain feel or a certain dynamic they're looking for, so you got to keep at it. You got to keep at it, Don't be afraid to come back.
Speaker 4:It does not mean that if you were not cast the first time around, that you're not going to get cast the next or you know it can continue. Take that and take that experience and grow and perfect your craft, whatever it may be, and really learn from it and get advice from the directors or the choreographer or our music, and just grow from it, because you cannot better yourself if you're just going to sit and dwell and cry about it really because, hello, I had to conquer Crying about it is good.
Speaker 1:Yes, become the emotions and that's good, but yes, it's something you have to let it inspire you Take that and go with it and make yourself a better person, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So we've talked about the casting, We've talked a little bit about the music. Let's now talk a little bit about our costuming and our set and how that's going to be a part, Because we always like to talk here and me being a tech guy how important it is that as you walk in our theater you need to put the world behind you, and then you're now entering the world of Seussical the Musical. So why don't we touch a little bit on that and kind of the process and thought process and what's actually happening outside this door as we speak?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm also the scenic designer of the whole production, which is really fun, which is a skill I got at school. Something I decided I was I learned that I was really interested in was scenic design, and so our whole world starts as soon as you step into the lobby and it's. Everything is super black and white and polka dots. Polka dots are like a big pattern. Polka dots and stripes are huge in this whole show, but everything is black and white and polka dots. Polka dots are like a big pattern.
Speaker 2:Polka dots and stripes are huge in this whole show, but everything is black and white with little touches of red, just like very Cat in the Hat. And then, as soon as you step into the aisles, boom color. There's a pink floor and a pink proscenium and everything is just. The show goes. So many different places. Oh the places you'll go literally. So like go to Salasalu, you go to the Jungle of Nul Planet of who. There's just so many different places. It's really hard to design for so many places. So what we've got is we've got two flats on stage right and stage left that turn, and they're going to have Nul on one side and Hu on the other. So anytime we're in both places, one flat will be turned and the other one won't, and it'll just revolve around. And there's Brian Goad has coined funky set piece as the name of like our back flat.
Speaker 1:Funky set piece.
Speaker 2:Yes, I like that, it's like a Seussian building structure and it's just like a weird. It's a funky set piece. So that's what we've got going on in the back and Doug Rumbaugh, who's our lighting designer is going to be shooting up some nice lights in the back with a nice cyclorama psych in the back, to change it's my favorite name, my favorite word is psych, psych lights.
Speaker 4:I'm like, what are those called again? Psychs, yes, psych, and we have an amazing sound director. Yeah, kirk Lane, kirk Lane, hey, let me tell you the man on the other side of the mic.
Speaker 1:What I've done is supervised the new sound system coming in, so we've made our job very easy in the sense that we haven't had an upgrade in our sound system in quite a while, and I've actually been working closely with Brian because we've never really had a structure built up there before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've actually been working closely with Brian because of we've never really had a structure built up there before, and so that was we were making sure it didn't interfere with the new speakers and the new cabling, and so I appreciated that Obviously that was even a question, but we just got the new system in. We got some tweaking to do, but we're pretty excited because we have a little bit more range than we've had before. And that seems to be an issue, not just at our theater but in many theaters, where you spend all this time teaching them how to sing these beautiful songs and all you hear is the track right, we don't have a way to pick up the voices. So we're helping to improve that and we've got some wireless elements and we've, you know, got our overhead mics in again, but we want to hear both right.
Speaker 1:We want to hear all this wonderful work that you guys have done to get them ready. But, yes, thank you. And to me as a tech guy and we've talked about at the beginning of this podcast, you know we did episodes directly for lighting and sounds and and set and costumes because they're they're a character. They are a character right. When you walk in, if you can shut the outside out, then you're just going to enjoy the message and the performance so much more Right and um, and that comes by being able to hear it and being enticed by the lighting that's happening, to see a realistic um, a realistic costume or a realistic set, and I think we do a great job here.
Speaker 1:I'm a little biased but yeah, it is fantastic that we have some pretty good resources all around. So, costuming let's talk a little bit about costuming.
Speaker 4:Sure, so we wanted to keep it simple. Usually, big shows like this are quick change, quick change, quick change. But with our cast we're kind of just a handful of quick change but it might just be a quick overcoat kind of thing. Obviously, our Gertrude is amazing, Our Maisie is super fabulous and amazing and our three bird girls think of Sophia from the Golden Girls bird girls.
Speaker 3:Think of Sophia from the Golden Girls.
Speaker 4:They're just magical, with a little bit of touch of feathers and our jungle ensemble and our who's. Like Mickey mentioned a lot of yellows, blacks, polka dot stripes, Very simple. We're not turning them into actual animals or anything like that. It is our actor standing out showing their talents with the touches of the character that they're playing. So we're not going crazy. Our makeup team is going to start Monday with practicing what we're looking for, but again, nothing crazy. Nothing like full face, Maybe our cat, but we haven't decided, finalized that detail yet. But yeah, we're just taking the kid and adding them into the costume. We're building them into the yeah, wonderful, wonderful, it's the kid, that makes the character.
Speaker 4:Yes, that's what we're doing. We're giving them that opportunity to shine and display who they are portraying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, costuming to me. I mean growing up and loving to throw on. You know whether it was the police outfit or the fireman's outfit or the army outfit. You just you're making pretend, as it were, but you get that and you feel like you're a part of it and you become the character. So when you're one, when you're you're instructing the music, talk to me a little bit about. I'm assuming there's gotta be a choreographer.
Speaker 2:Yes, madeline McGowan.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so I'm assuming you're working with her, because there's a lot of music in this.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we talk, especially when we get to the moments where there's just instrumental Okay, what's happening here? And so we kind of work through. So there is a circus scene.
Speaker 3:So we really talk about the music and we talk about what's changing in the music, because the style changes every phrase. And so, for example, like bows are a great way to demonstrate that, because it brings a little bit of everything in the show. So all of a sudden you're like, oh cool, I remember this song, it's very Broadway, it's very, very pop. And then all of a sudden it's like now it's Latin. And so now the style changes, not only in the music, but it changes in the way that they sing it and it changes in the choreo that Maddie works on, because you're not going to go out there and do very classical style dancing when you have Latin music happening in the background.
Speaker 3:And so the music really is going to control what's happening, not only in the style and the blocking and the choreography, but also how they're going to present that. And so our lovely Maisie and our bird girls they sing a lot of Latin in the show the style of the music drastically changes. But then when you get to Horton it's much more. You know, trying to find the right word. It's a more Broadway and tender moments when you get JoJo, and so the music drastically changes, and so we do try to work with that in understanding how that works. So yeah, especially with the instrumental part, it's like all right, what's the style right here?
Speaker 1:Oh, it's this kind of music I've got to imagine because I'm excited that we're excited to get out on the stage right After the set is built and to start doing that final week of prep. But I'm sure as a musical director you've heard them in here for the last you know several weeks or several months. But now you go out on stage and you have a completely different environment. Now there's a lot more movement involved. You've got set pieces, you've got everything else. Then you got to kind of tweak your blocking and tweak the choreo and everything else. I'm pretty excited to see that happen. Yeah, is there the prep ahead of time? Do you feel like it's helping out? It seems like it is from your response, sochi, about someone saying are you feeling it?
Speaker 2:I felt after Thursday. On Thursday I felt like this wave of relief, because usually every rehearsal I'm like we don't have enough time, we haven't finished this song. We haven't finished this song, we haven't finished this song 10 o'clock.
Speaker 1:before opening 10 pm.
Speaker 2:And Thursday I was looking for things to do and our cat in the hat, joshua Liguori, he was like I feel so ahead of the game. He was like what are we going to do the next two weeks? And I was like, just run through the show every single day. He's like, oh, that's a lot, yes, but I'm glad that we're done. Three weeks ahead of time, versus he said that most shows he's done, like they first run through, is opening night. And so I was like, well, I'm glad that's not the case for us, cause that would be a train wreck.
Speaker 2:Um so yeah, um, um, I feel fine, I feel great.
Speaker 1:You feel you're in a good spot.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And it looks like you have a pretty good team around you to support with everything. Is there anyone else that's a part of the team, or part of the cast, or part of the theater that you'd like to talk about, or any other experiences you'd like to share with our audience?
Speaker 2:Yeah, brian Goat is our master carpenter.
Speaker 1:And he's part of the breakfast group.
Speaker 2:Yes, he's out there building with everybody right now and he's got like a huge team. There's so many amazing dads out there. Yes, I don't think.
Speaker 4:I've. I think of the time that I've been here. I've never seen as many dads yeah and brothers.
Speaker 1:And my nephew is out there, you're listening.
Speaker 4:we miss you.
Speaker 1:Yes we miss you and love you and so glad because he's part of that breakfast group as well, and a lot of those gentlemen are out there, and so it's nice that we do have that support group and I do appreciate you bringing that up. But that is Brian, brian the electrician, as we like to call him. He is now doing the set build and when we were having our discussion and solving some of the world's problems this morning, you could see Brian was like okay, it's almost go time.
Speaker 2:He was very much in the zone and ready to go, he was here yesterday we were drawing out the funky set piece in the back and he was looking at the proscenium and pulling out all the pieces because he's been cutting in his house. He's been cutting in his garage before like to prep for this week, which is really exciting. And then maya tambokin, who's our scenic painter, is stopping by later today to start painting, to start getting stuff.
Speaker 1:She's fantastic.
Speaker 2:Yes, she is amazing, we're also going to uh university of southern california for um a theater.
Speaker 4:Wow, degree design, theater design, I believe yeah, and we touched on Maddie McGowan who I think dreams in in dance she was part of Urinetown, our last production, as well we used her, so she was the first time she was a part of our theater.
Speaker 4:Was for Shrek right and she's been non-stop, non-stop and everybody has stolen her. But it's fine. We love sharing her amazing talent and I think she dreams and dance. We were discussing like, how does she come up with this stuff? And none of it like. There's a couple of things where you're like, oh, I think I remember, but it's all new. And it's so magical to see that. I love it, it's truly, she's an amazing talent and Juan's number one, juan's number one, juan's number one. Juan is number one.
Speaker 1:Yes, we have a great team Open in eight days.
Speaker 4:Eight rehearsals.
Speaker 2:Eight rehearsals. We have eight rehearsals and 13 days.
Speaker 1:Okay, so August 8th.
Speaker 2:August 8th through the 23rd.
Speaker 1:So we've got 8th, 9th, 15th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd are evening shows, and we have 10th, 16th and 17th of August as our matinee shows.
Speaker 4:And two shows on the 16th yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, and they can buy tickets now.
Speaker 2:Yes, hurry and hurry up, because it's selling out?
Speaker 1:Yes, well, of course it is yeah.
Speaker 2:It sounds amazing. It's opening and closing. They're already gone.
Speaker 1:So you can go to the Chino Community Children's Theater website or our social media sites, you can call the box office and you can get tickets. So come on out, check this production out. We really appreciate you guys being with us.
Speaker 4:Thank you for having us. I have to say thank you to our three amazing producers. I didn't yes, we would not be here without them, because they literally keep us in check. And the text messages are. They're just amazing. They're amazing Five steps ahead, yeah, All the time.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know this is to our listeners that are both domestic and abroad. Community theater is community theater because we all work together, so we would love to hear from you, especially if you're in another country and you're enjoying these podcasts. Send us a message, send us a note, we really appreciate it. Follow us on all our socials. Go see Seussical the Musical and thank you guys so much for all that you do, but especially for this particular production and for taking some time out of your day to speak with us, of course.
Speaker 4:Thank you for having us have a great weekend.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage, a 7th Street Community Theatre podcast. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review and a 5-star rating. It really helps. You can also find us on Instagram, facebook and YouTube. Special thanks to Chino Community Theatre and Chino Community Children's Theatre for their generous support and very special thank you to the listeners. Steps to the Stage was created by Joey Rice and Kirk Lane. Logo created by Marley Lane. Original music by Joey Rice. Your host, kirk Lane. Engineer and producer Joey Rice. Engineer and executive producer, kirk Lane.
