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Photos by Adrian Fussell
FELIX OTERO, 45, and Henry Ovalles, 31, spar during a rehearsal of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre on Feb. 13.
Fairy tale meets disco in ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’ By Maya Rajamani mrajamani@riverdalepress.com
day. In the Children’s Theatre Company at Lehman’s production of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” goat siblings Barry, Robin and Maurice channeled the Bee Gees’ Gibb brothers in a production that melded 1970s disco with the wellknown fairy tale the show takes its name from. “Think ‘Shrek’ — kids like it, but there’s enough in it for adults to find it funny,” said Lehman Stages’ artistic director Dante Albertie, who wrote the show, at a dress rehearsal on Feb. 13. Mr. Albertie, 48, is the creative mind behind about 20 different Children’s Theatre shows, all of which he describes as “fairy tale sketch comedy.” He adds humorous twists to ageold tales, new words for old melodies and sometimes altered lyrics for wellknown tunes. In “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” the Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive” get reworked — to hilarious effect. “You can tell when I use four legs to walk, I’m a Billy goat: no time to talk,” they sang to the tune of the 1977
THE CAST of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ takes the stage to rehearse a Bee Gees-inspired routine. smash hit “Stayin’ Alive.” In Mr. Albertie’s version of the 19th-century Norwegian tale, the three brothers have sung together since they were baby goats receiving
GINA VASQUEZ, 22, performs the part of the bridge troll at a rehearsal.
F E AT U R E D E X C L U S I V E S
training from their father. Following in the footsteps of the real Gibb brothers, the capricious trio temporarily disbands. After two of the goats set out to pursue solo careers, they are reunited once an encounter with a bridge troll makes them realize they are better as a group. Parents know the songs and the story of the Bee Gees, Mr. Albertie said. Kids, on the other hand, are satisfied by the show even without cultural knowledge of bygone decades. “The kids know it’s these goats that are hoping to be a singing group, and that’s all they need to know and they’re cool with that,” said Mr. Albertie. His past shows have included a version of “The Three Little Pigs” with a “Charlie’s Angels” twist, and a production of “Little Red Riding Hood” in which the wolf feels he has been framed. “It’s like a puzzle,” he said of adapting the fairy tales for a modern audience. “It gives me a structure without me having to come up with one.” For the Children’s Theatre Company’s core group of actors, performing
the shows is about sharing their love of theater with a young audience. Recent Lehman graduate Gina Vasquez, 22, who plays the bridge troll in the latest show, began acting with the company as a student of Mr. Albertie, who also teaches as an adjunct at the college. “There’s something really special
EDDIE IVAN Torres, 32, strikes a pose as Felix Otero, 45, looks on.
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hree billy goats caught a case of Saturday night fever at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre on Sun-
about working with kids,” said Ms. Vasquez. Each show emphasizes interactions between performers and young audience members. At one point in “ The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” the main characters ask the audience to judge which goat is a better singer. “These kids are so hyped up, and you have to keep up with it,” she said. “You can’t be afraid to make weird choices and make a fool of yourself.” The performers took her words to heart in the show, vigorously belting out disco hits and busting dance moves with gusto. Henry Ovalles, 31, plays a goat named Maurice, donning goat horns and bell-bottoms for the role. He said the actors, who get to improvise during the shows, are committed to introducing kids to theater. “[My goal is] to be able to share the joy and love I have for theater with young kids who may be experiencing it for the first time,” he said. Mr. Albertie, meanwhile, enjoys the audience reaction to his shows. “I like seeing the looks on people’s faces when they know the story, but they see where we’re going with it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s funny,’” he said. The Children’s Theatre Company performs at venues throughout the Bronx including The Riverdale Y, the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden. In March, the company will perform “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Frog Prince.” For more info, visit www.lehmanstages.org.