State College kids showcase musical talents
By Brittany Horn
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
Whether it’s the familiar lines of “Africa” or
spelling out the word “supercalifragilisticex
pialidocious,” the kids know it all.
Singing Onstage Studios will present
“Broadway Showkids” at 7 p.m. Monday at
the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave. The
production features students age five
through 12. Admission is $lO, including the
box office fee. The show will run a little more
than an hour in length with one intermission.
The production features music from
“Rent,” “Guys and Dolls” and “Glee,” along
with several others. The children will also
perform monologues between songs to break
up the singing and provide the children with
some acting opportunities, said Heidi Biever,
owner of Singing Onstage Studios and direc
tor of the show.
Aladdin Jr. flies into Theatre with Singing Onstage
By Karina Yucel
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
With Singing Onstage, children are trans
formed from everyday performers into clas
sic Disney characters.
Singing Onstage will perform “Aladdin Jr.”
at the State Theatre, 130 W College Ave., at 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 17. Tickets are $lO.
Kristy Cyone, marketing director for the
State Theatre, said the theater has been
working with Singing Onstage since it began,
but has just started bringing its children’s
shows to the theater.
“Singing Onstage asked us if we could
bring more performances to the State
Theatre,” Cyone said. “We have helped them
with eight performances this month.”
Other plays include “Alice in Wonderland”
at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18 and “Once On
This Island” at 3 p.m Sunday, Dec. 19. All
three plays will be performed at the State
Theatre, and each includes children from dif
ferent age groups.
While the show is open to the State College
community, Cyone said most of the attendees
BROADWAY BABIES
“The kids are really enthusiastic,” Biever
said.
“They have the desire to be here.”
The show choir, featuring elementary and
middle school students, operates on a no
audition necessary policy, with sign-ups
occurring before the start of each school
'‘semester,” Biever said.
“Broadway Showkids” is the last show of
the year for this particular group of students,
but they have performed at other venues
such as Barnes and Noble and the Nittany
Mall.
Kristy Cyone, marketing director of the
State Theatre, said the theater normally cov
ers the professional productions put on by
Singing Onstage Studios, but this is a fun way
to incorporate the younger kids.
“Their faces light up doing [productions]
on that type of stage,” Cyone said. “It encour
ages them to keep performing.”
If you go
What Singing Onstage presents "Aladdin
Jr."
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17
Where: State Theatre, 130 W. College
Ave.
Details: Tickets are $lO
are parents and grandparents.
“Aladdin Jr.” features children between six
and 12 years old, and Heidi Biever, director of
Singing Onstage Studios, said the show was
adapted for these younger performers.
“Usually it’s older kids, middle and high
school, that get to perform,” Biever said
Biever said there is no audition process for
students who want to perform, instead.
Singing Onstage interviewed potential stu
dents and asked each student what show
they would like to be a part of.
“If they have an interest, and they are will
ing to put in the work and come with a great
And most of the students do just that,
Biever said.
A majority of the students at the studio
have been members for numerous years, she
said.
Garrison Pote, 7, of State College, is enter
ing his third year of performance with
Singing Onstage Studios, and said he loves
the variety of music and shows.
“I really like singing, dancing and acting,
and theater has all of that,” he said.
His mother, Nicole Pote, said she views the
theater as an opportunity to learn more than
just acting.
“[Theater] has brought out a whole new
side of [Garrison],” Nicole Pote said. “It’s
given him self-confidence and life skills.”
Nicole Pote said her son said he could
never imagine himself not being a
“Broadway Showkid.”
Aside from the talent that students enter
attitude, we want them,” Biever said.
Biever said the kids enjoy performing in
“Aladdin” because they know the movie.
“It’s special to be able to recreate some
thing that you have seen so much of,” Biever
said.
“It’s just really special to see them doing
what they have watched many times.”
Paola Ferreri has two children participat
ing in the production of Aladdin.
Katrina, 9, was in a previous performance
of Aladdin, so this time, she gets to be a
helper to the director, Ferreri said.
Christopher, 7, is a part of the performance,
she said
“They love it. They love Heidi She is a pos
itive, uplifting person. She turns them into
performers by Oie end It’s wonderful to see,”
said Ferreri, of State College.
Fbr many of Singing Onstage’s other pro
ductions, there aren’t that many chances for
performers to wear elaborate costumes,
Biever said.
But the kids in “Aladdin” get to wear cos
tumes and represent a part of a culture dif
ferent from their own, she said
the studio with, Biever and her husband and
co-owner, Richard, also play a huge role in
the development of the young stars, Nicole
Pote said.
“Heidi has the patience of a saint,” she
said. “What she can bring out in these kids
and their level of talent is amazing.”
The studio produces about 20 shows a year,
all with students ranging from four through
18 years old. Biever, along with her husband,
both have significant backgrounds in per
forming and directing, featuring many shows
and musical endeavors.
While this is the first year younger per
formers will perform at the State Theatre,
the show promises to be a fun time, Biever
said.
Cyone agreed.
“It makes it more fun for the kids, to get to
be on the same stage as these big artists,”
she said. “It’s pretty neat”
“The kids are really enthusiastic,” Biever
said. “It’s fun to see how much they bring to
each rehearsal. They sing from their hearts,
stand up in front of a group of people and sing
from their toes. It’s really inspiring.”
Ferreri said her children’s favorite part of
rehearsals is getting the chance to see the
costumes.
“The kids were running around seeing
who gets to wear what” Ferreri said.
Ferreri said she is looking forward to see
ing the performance at the State Theatre
because the previous performance was at
Mount Nittany Middle School.
At the State Theatre, more effects are
available, like a strobe light and fog, Ferreri
said.
In the beginning of the rehearsals, parents
are skeptical of how the performance will
turn out but the shows are always a suc
cess, Ferreri said.
“In the beginning you are looking at them,
going, ‘Realty?’ ” Ferreri said. “And Heidi
pulls it together wonderfully.”
To e-mail reporter kzysolsepsu.edu