YOUTH
THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021
Youth TheFoothillsFocus.com
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Youth tap their way into a high-energy dance show BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN Foothills Focus Contributing Writer
S
halom Harlow, a Canadian actress and model, once said, “When I first saw tap dancing, I immediately got it: the righteousness of being able to make so much noise with your feet.” Sherry Henderson and Jackie Hammond can relate to that sentiment. Henderson is directing “Singin’ in the. Rain Jr.” at Hammond’s Musical Theatre of Anthem from Thursday, July 29, to Saturday, July 31. Doing a large tap show at MTA was their dream until they performed “42nd Street” in 2014. To pull that off, Harlow created a tap program for children and adults. Even Hammond took the classes. Once the kids tapped for a year, they performed in “42nd Street.” However, they haven’t done another tapheavy show. When Hammond approached Henderson about “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.,” she jumped at the chance. “Singin’ in the Rain” began its life as a 1952 musical film, an American romantic comedy directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Kelly, famous for his tap dancing and athletic dance style, cast himself, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen and Donald O’Connor in the film. Rita Moreno makes an appearance, too. It is now ranked as one of the greatest musical films. In it, Kelly’s character, Don, is a silent movie star who dances and does stunts. The studio publicizes that he is in love with his leading lady, Lina, whom he barely even likes. He then meets Kathy, a stage actress. The musical treats upon the transition of silent movies to “talkies,” as well as being a love story. Lina’s voice is not fit for talkies, so they get Kathy to dub her voice while Lina lip syncs. Luring into musical theater Henderson’s love of tap dancing goes way back. She and her identical twin sister have been tap dancers since they were young.
Their mom frequently woke them in the middle of the night to watch tap musicals on television. “We were big fans of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers,” Henderson said. “I loved Debbie Reynolds.” It was a mix that drew her to “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” “It basically has some of the greatest YOUTH songs in musical theater history and it has tap dancing. What isn’t to love?” Henderson said. “It’s really fun doing this because it is back to drawing out what seems to be a special skill. Tap dancing was so popular during this time.” She said she’d love to see tap make a comeback. While there are signs it is growing in popularity, dance competitions never see tap dancers in the finals. “Tap dancing is a special skill, something you have to work really hard for,” Henderson said. “It has instant gratification: You hear the sound.” Looking good Henderson stepped into the role of director, having tap and musical theater backgrounds. She also studied acrobatics, which lends itself well to pieces in the show like “Make ‘Em Laugh.” “I have a specialty of making nondancers look like dancers,” Henderson said. “We’ll just make this show a great tap show whether we have strong tappers or not.” Hammond encourages MTA youth to get involved in “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” and to embrace its tap elements. That encouragement has raised the excitement level, she said. The show is a junior show and will feature young people from the ages of 12 to 19. For a show with rain in the title, the set designer decided to make it so that it will actually rain on stage. The apparatus for that takes up a lot of the backstage area, so other pieces will likely be flown in rather than rolling in.
It is something that Henderson hopes will be exciting for the audience.
MTA has strong draw for artists Henderson moved to Georgia six years ago, but the program at MTA draws her back to direct a show every summer. The reasons for the yearly trek are simple. “It is Jackie and the kids,” Henderson said. “The staff is amazing, but Jackie is the reason why I started directing. She believed in me. I never thought I could direct a show, but she said, ‘You can.’ She gave me the opportunity and opened so many doors for me.” She has high praise for Hammond and MTA’s philosophy of theater that welcomes all kids. “She is such an amazing advocate for theater and these kids that love it,” Henderson said. “I just love the feeling I get when I walk into MTA. It’s always been like my second home, truly.” Musical transports audiences back in time “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” is designed to be a vehicle transporting the performers and audiences back in time to the 1920s. As a director, Henderson said she will work with the kids to exorcise contemporary movements and behaviors, because she wants the performers to feel like they are back in the 1920s. While it is set a century ago, Henderson emphasizes that the show is for the old and the young. “I think that the kids should be coming with their parents and their grandparents,” Henderson said. “It will take the older folk back to a generation they remember, or their grandparents might have remembered.” Doing so, she feels, helps theater to grow. When kids come to see a show that they like, they are more likely to join the-
ater and not be afraid of trying something new, of learning to be expressive on stage, of memorizing a script and learning choreography. “I encourage people to come see the show,” Henderson said. “Share it with kids who love watching and maybe want to be a part of that.” “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.”
When: Various times Thursday, July 29, to Saturday, July 31 Where: Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Suite B100, Anthem Cost: Tickets are $25 Info: musicalthatreofanthem.org
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