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JOSH GOLDIN-McCARTHY, 12, plays Mushu, the dragon who protects and guides the title character in Disney’s ‘Mulan, Jr.’ presented by the Riverdale Rising Stars’ Summer Stage, photo at far left. LEILA HALLER, 11, center, portrays Mulan, the plucky girl who saves her people from a Hunnic invasion. TREVOR CARTRETTE, 11, near left, plays Shan Yu, the leader of the invading Hunnic army.
Working hard, having fun, Rising Stars bring Disney’s ‘Mulan Jr.’ to the stage By Felix Holoszyc-Pimentel newsroom@riverdalepress.com
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Photos by Marisol Díaz
LEILA HALLER, 11, as Mulan, reacts to dressmakers, matchmakers and close relatives as they try to make her prim and proper for suitors. trayed Mushu, Mulan’s, bombastic guardian-dragon, said he appreciates the opportunity the arts camp provides young actors to develop their craft. “Summer Stage is also about teaching kids how to act,” said Joshua, a two-year Summer Stage veteran. Joshua credited the success of the
musical with the talent and dedication of the show’s director, Julian Rozzell Jr., and musical director Angela Howell. Although the dialogue for the younger actors depicting the army of Huns was limited, their performance with Trevor Cartrette as the com-
mander, Shan-Yu, possibly provided the most memorable moments of the performances: A raging swarm of screaming six-year-olds scampering down the theater’s aisles wielding toy swords as convincingly as a band of armor-clad fifth-century Hunnic warriors.
Tony Santo, whose daughter Ruby was part of that Hun ensemble, has attended several Riverdale arts camp performances and is consistently impressed with the quality of the Summer Stage productions, saying, “It’s really exciting to see their confidence grow with every play.”
JESSICA LAVERY, 19, at far left, works on Sarah Baum, 10, putting every hair in place in the dressing room.
OLIVIA SANTO, as Zhang, Josh Goldin-McCarthy as Mushu, and Sarah Baum as Yun, near left photo, celebrate Mushu’s success.
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Chinese maiden disguises her identity then assumes her elderly father’s conscription in the national army before executing epic feats of bravery worthy of a German opera. A trusty, wise-cracking red dragon is ordered by the maiden’s ancestors to deter her from engaging in the conflict, but instead battles alongside her as she pursues the defense of her family’s honor and her country. And an incorrigible horde of invading pint-sized Hunnic fighters brandishing plastic swords endeavor to quash the maiden and conquer her nation at any cost. Those were a few of the highlights at the Riverdale Rising Stars’ Summer Stage performances of a live-version of the 1998 animated Disney feature, Mulan, at the Riverdale YM-YWHA last week. So far, the rave reviews would bring tears of envy to the eyes of the most successful Broadway producer. “It’s amazing the talent that’s in this group,” said Tyreek Moore, after watching his daughter Tatyana perform as a petite Hun in the musical’s Aug. 8 show. The cast of 40 included actors, singers and extras age 5-to-13-years-old portraying characters and performing songs from the film with richly textured costumes and sets with Technicolo hues. Besides the valuable onstage experience, the Summer Stage arts camp has given the young actors a practical life lesson. Leila Haller played the leading role, the young woman who joins the struggle to defend her country in order to save her feeble father from military service and imminent death. Leila, who says Mulan is her most significant role to date, believes the effort in preparation required to perform in Summer Stage makes acting in the production even more satisfying. “You have to work hard to have fun,” she said. Joshua Goldin-McCarthy, who por-