With theater closed due to coronavirus, Looking Glass Playhouse takes show to Zoom
Technology has come to the rescue for young performers wanting to put on a show.
The annual Looking Glass Playhouse “kids show,” set to be “Alice in Wonderland” in June, had to be canceled because of the state’s restrictions due to the coronavirus public health crisis. Instead, plans to produce a new youth musical, written specifically for the Zoom videoconferencing tool to fit onto a computer screen, were quickly put into place. All the actors would work remotely.
The result is a 20-minute online Zoom musical, “The Big One-Oh!”, to be performed live this weekend and streamed over the internet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25, through Saturday, June 27. Tickets are $5 for individuals and $15 per family. Those who purchase tickets will be sent an email with a link to view the live show on the specific show date. People can view the performance on smartphones, tablets, televisions, computers and laptops.
This musical storytelling is a new frontier for the Lebanon-based community theater, said Gigi Dowling Urban, the show’s director, current vice president on the board of directors and longest serving board member.
“I’m really proud of the board for taking a look at what we could do,” she said. “They wanted to help our young people do their summer show this year.”
As they entered “Heck Week,” a euphemism for Tech Week leading up to the opening, she said she hopes it will be a win-win for everyone.
In mid-March, performing arts venues had to shut down because of the global pandemic and either rescheduled, postponed or canceled their offerings. But the lockdown didn’t halt creativity. Enter ingenuity.
Publishing house Music Theatre International, which had “The Big One-Oh!” in its Theatre for Young Audiences library of titles, released the worldwide licensing rights to a brand-new online show May 5 for contracts with theaters and educational musical theater groups.
“MTI is pleased to make available yet another way for theatres to continue their role as cultural centers in their communities during isolation,” said Drew Cohen, president and CEO of Music Theatre International. “We’re looking forward to applauding theatres all over the world as they explore this exciting new medium.”
Urban welcomed it as a solution.
How this all came about online
An audition notice was posted — with video auditions uploaded to the LGP website May 24. They stated the cast had to have access to a computer and a smartphone.
Another checklist item: “They must also have a rehearsal performance space that is relatively noise free with limited access for noisy parents or Siamese cat.”
Urban said they had a huge response. In fact, kids farther away from the typical geographic location of performers (metro-east and St. Louis metropolitan area), auditioned. Because of the show’s unique demands, they had to limit the cast to 25 (normally the kids show can attract about 100 youngsters). The cast ranges from 7-16.
This version is a family-friendly musical based on the novel by Dean Pitchford, who won an Academy Award for Best Song “Fame” and also co-wrote “Footloose.”
Additionally, he wrote the lyrics and the music is by Tony Award winner Doug Besterman (“Thoroughly Modern Millie”) and book by Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach). Under McDonald’s supervision and in collaboration with Pitchford and Besterman, the story and structure of the online edition were adjusted to make it possible to perform the musical online.
What’s it about?
The story involves Charley Maplewood, who is about to reach a milestone: Turning 10 (the big one-o). He has never been one for parties because that would require friends, which he doesn’t have. Well, unless his monster friends are counted, but they are only imaginary. Charley’s still adjusting to his parents’ divorce and his move to a new school.
Now with a major birthday looming, he decides to throw a party for himself, complete with a “House of Horrors” theme. Of course, things don’t work out as he plans. Will Charley pull it together before the big one-oh becomes the big OH-NO!?
MTI included a director’s guide offering step-by-step instructions for rehearsing and presenting the performance online, detailing how to create and fit the choreography into each actor’s frame, and how to put together group musical numbers. Materials also included music tracks to be played from each actor’s device.
“It’s really a complete package. It’s a new venture for all of us,” she said.
To collaborate from everyone’s home space was a challenge, and the unsung heroes are the production team, Urban said.
Kudos all around for bringing it all together
She praised choreographers Brian Rowe and Bryan Rauckman, tech directors Andrew Sanker and Brad Sanker, and music directors Charley and Katie Knowles.
She said the tech people had to get all the voices to match, and then match the faces to the performers, in addition to blending the dance numbers. Her job as the director was to block the performers in each space.
“Online, it’s a different space — it’s a small box. You have the head and shoulders and you have the full body waist-up to work with,” she said. “The acting is like in-between being on stage and film work. You have to create a moment and energy and variety.”
She communicated coaching notes to parents through texts. Evening rehearsals were virtual.
“I have been impressed so far. They have done a really nice job. It’s unique. It’s really been interesting to watch the performers adapt,” she said. “They have embraced it and it’s really heartwarming to see them interact before the rehearsal starts.”
She misses the camaraderie of a cast in-person, but to offer this opportunity is gratifying, she said. Urban has marked her 50th anniversary directing plays and musicals. She began at age 18 with a one-act show.
Technology turns into big learning curve
The singing and dancing is the easy part — the technology turned into a major learning curve. Using conferencing software is harder than one would think, because of the necessary audio and video work that must be done to be in sync for performers.
“It’s all the little things — you learn by doing, we’re learning by recording,” she said.
This spring, to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 emergency, the board stopped all productions, rehearsals and events through June 30. “Alice in Wonderland” is now moved to be the children’s summer show in 2021. While the season — set to begin in September with “Rock of Ages” — has not been canceled, Urban said they would follow the state’s guidelines to determine how to move forward.
But even with the allowed 50 people in Phase 4, she said it would be tough.
“The big issue is what if you have a cast of 20 and 5 crew people, then you can only have 25 in the audience, so that’s a significant issue,” she said.
For tickets, visit: https://lookingglassplayhouse.tix.com/schedule.aspx?orgnum=5815
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 11:18 AM.