Family Friendly

Mr. Gabe & Holly play Summerfest Family Theatre

Mr. Gabe & Holly will perform from 10 to 10:45 a.m. July 14 in Frederick’s Baker Park Band Shell as part of Celebrate Frederick’s Summerfest Family Theatre weekly music series.

Mr. Gabe & Holly have delighted young audiences in the D.C. area for years with an interactive style of musical entertainment that inspires kids to move their bodies and use their brains. They perform nursery rhymes, folk songs and modern favorites, such as “Yellow Submarine” and “La Bamba,” as well as originals from Mr. Gabe’s two Parents’ Choice award-winning albums.

According to Ashley Jo Farmer, Parents’ Choice Foundation, “Listening to Mr. Gabe sing is like hearing an old friend telling stories on the front porch swing.”

Mr. Gabe, aka Gabe Hutter, is a former stay-at-home dad who lives in Takoma Park. He performs frequently at day cares, libraries, community events, festivals and lots and lots of birthday parties. Holly is a singer-songwriter and veteran D.C. musician, who, when she isn’t busy getting silly with Mr. Gabe, can be seen fronting her own rock band, the Holly Montgomery Band. She released her album “Sorry for Nothing” (KZZ Records) in May.

Shows continue each week through Aug. 4.

While each performance is free to the public, the Summerfest Family Theatre Committee encourages guests to bring a canned food item in lieu of admission to support the Foodbank Program operated by the Frederick Community Action Agency. Non-perishable items such as canned meats and vegetables, soups, peanut butter, cereal, rice and pastas are preferred and appreciated.

For more information, contact Celebrate Frederick at 301-600-2841 or visit celebratefrederick.com.

Courtesy photo

Mr. Gabe & Holly

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AUG. 4

King Bullfrog

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Adults, children team up, make theater rock

BY KHUSHBOO RATHORE

krathore@newspost.com

Thirteen-year-old Maya Evans has been involved in theater since she was 7. Going into her last year of middle school, Maya has been spending her summer rehearsing “School of Rock: The Musical” with Landless Theatre Company in Frederick.

The show, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is based on 2003’s “School of Rock” movie starring Jack Black. Maya is playing Summer Hathaway, whom she described as “very bossy” and “not afraid to yell at adults.”

Maya isn’t quite as brave as Summer but relates to how the character wants to do well in school, get good grades and wants people to listen to her.

“Like her, I would like my opinion to be heard and respected,” Maya said.

Maya is a student at Oakdale Middle School and participated in her school production of “Madagascar Jr.” when she was in seventh grade. Andrew Lloyd Baughman, the producing artistic director and founder of Landless, was helping out with the production. Baughman told the students about the musical he was producing through Landless over the summer, and Maya decided to audition. When the theater started looking for understudies and swings, she encouraged her younger brother, Mikhail Evans, to join the show, too. When one of the actors dropped out, Mikhail, 11, took over the role of Billy, the band’s stylist.

He, too, has been involved in theater from a young age, with his most recent production being “Mary Poppins Jr” at his elementary school.

“School of Rock” has been his favorite show, especially since his character has a sassy side and is very passionate and fashionable. The show also has more realistic depictions of other children his age, he said. “I just kind of prefer the whole storyline of it more than any other show. ... I gravitate towards the show,” he said.

The show features several local children and their parents, some of whom are taking their first foray into acting.

Roshan Beitzell, 12, has played electric guitar and sang for years. He said this production was his way to try something new and help him improve his skills. He joined the cast as Zack Mooneyham about three weeks after most other members, and felt a little nervous coming in, he said.

He hadn’t expected to get the part when he auditioned.

“I don’t usually have much luck when it comes to getting into good things, and I was really excited when I got the part,” he said.

Zack is a quiet kid but becomes more engaged after getting to know Dewey Finn, a failed rock star who is posing as a long-term substitute at the school. Dewey, played by Baughman, encourages the kids to start their own band, which gets Zack “interactive and excited” about things, according to Roshan.

His favorite part of the show is the “epic” solo that he plays during the Battle of the Bands competition near the end of the musical.

The competition is a favorite for many of the children participating in the show. Eve Evans, no relation to Maya and Mikhail, portrays keyboard player Lawrence. She said that the Battle of the the Bands scene is her favorite and the high point of the show.

“It’s pretty cool, and I have a keyboard solo in there that I actually know how to play pretty well,” 13-year-old Eve said.

The scene at the Battle of the Bands, when the parents confront Dewey about not teaching their kids and about not being a licensed teacher, is Maya’s favorite.

Jillian Dugan, who plays lead bassist Katie, said her favorite part comes earlier in the show. The kids are able to join the event because they pretend to be terminally ill, which is a funny scene, she said.

The 14-year-old has been in shows since she was 6, when she was in a performance of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Since then, she has played the lead role in Annie, JoJo in “Seussical” and Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” She watched “School of Rock: The Musical” on Broadway four years ago and thought Katie was a cool character. Katie is a quiet character but also the musical foundation of the band. She’s “pretty chill,” said Jillian, who plays bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and trombone, along with being a dancer and acrobat.

While Jillian has performed for about eight years, this is her first show with Landless Theatre, and she doesn’t usually perform with people close to her age, she said. “Working with my peers, we understand each other in a different way,” she said.

The show was originally slated to take place in May but was delayed when some cast members got COVID-19, according to Baughman.

Stefanie Garcia, an associate performing artist at Landless Theatre, said the pandemic has been the most difficult part of putting on the show. The

‘School of Rock’

When: 8 to 10 p.m. July 22, 23, 29 and 5 to 7 p.m. July 31 Where: New Spire Arts Stages, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick Tickets: $26-$28, available through Eventbrite Info: landlesstheatrecompany.org

39-year-old plays Rosalie Mullins, the Horace Green Prep School principal who wants to be free but feels trapped by her responsibilities and is under pressure from the parents at the school.

She can relate to Mullins, especially as she gets older.

“You start having more pressures and responsibilities. It is easy to have less and less time to find the joy in life,” Garcia said.

COVID shutdowns and regulations have caused theater to suffer. Eve hadn’t performed since 2019 and missed being part of an ensemble and meeting new friends through theater. Her parents met in the theater business, and she watched many of their performances while growing up.

“The kids [in the Landless production] are nice and everyone’s friendly with each other. The adults are cool, and my mom is in the play,” Eve said.

They have never done a production together, and her mom, Jeanine Evans, will be playing Lawrence’s mom in the musical.

Garcia said that working with children and parents has been a fantastic experience. She loves that the parents might be stepping out of their comfort zone and supporting their children, while hopefully having fun at the same time. “It’s always just a joy to welcome everyone into the Landless family.”

Roshan is also excited for the show, too. “I want to have that moment of when the audience stands up and claps for us,” he said.

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