Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre presents its summer youth musical theatre production “Really Rosie” which features book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carole King. The show, which features 46 local children in three alternating casts, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. July 22, 23, 29 and 30, with a 3 p.m. July 31 matinee. All performances will be at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 10 years old. For more information call (313) 799-3551 or go to www.dhctstage.org.
By Sue Suchyta
The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre will present “Really Rosie” as its summer youth musical production. The show features a book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carole King.
Three rotating casts will perform the show, which runs for two weekends at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on July 22, 23, 29 and 30, with a 3 p.m. July 31 Sunday matinee.
Cythia Frabutt of Dearborn is directing the show, which features 46 local youth. Rachel LaPointe of Dearborn Heights is producing the show, which features the musical direction and choreography of Dearborn resident Kira Frabotta.
“Really Rosie” is based on Sendak’s books, which include “Chicken Soup with Rice,” “Pierre,” “One was Johnny” and “Alligators all Around” (from “The Nutshell Library”), as well as “The Sign on Rosie’s Door.”
The story takes place on a summer day on Avenue P in Brooklyn. Spunky Rosie gathers her bored neighborhood friends and decides to create an imaginary movie musical not only about her imagination-enhanced life, but about the demise of her brother named Chicken Soup.
She gets the neighborhood kids to audition for roles, which creates casting conflict. When a thunderstorm forces them inside to the cellar, Rosie decides to create a big finale using all of the kids for her musical.
In February 1975 a half-hour animated television special aired on CBS featuring eight of the songs. The show was expanded for a London and Washington, D.C., run in 1978, followed by a 1980 run off-Broadway. The show has since become a favorite of children’s theater groups.
In the DHCT production, the first cast will perform July 22 and 23, the second cast July 29 and 30, and the third cast, featuring pre-teens, will perform July 31.
Those wishing to see a child in a particular role are strongly urged to verify their performance dates in advance.
The first cast features Dearborn residents Camille Charara as Rosie, Amanda Balaka as Kathy, Mary Charara as Alligator, Matthew Ramirez as Johnny, Jordan DiGregorio as Pierre, Kelley Thierry and Victoria Johnson as Lion, Marie Wolski as Rosie’s mother, Kelley Thierry as Kathy’s mother, Kyle Tillman as the doctor and Frankie Nunez as Dracula. Sarah Jennings of Dearborn Heights will play Johnny’s mother and Chicken Soup.
The second cast includes Dearborn residents Balaka as Kathy, Lia Bertucci as Alligator, Joe Gaber as Johnny, Westley Montgomery as Pierre, Thierry as Lion, Lindsay Culp as Kathy’s mother, Johnson as Lion and Johnny’s mother, Kyle Tillman as the doctor and Nunez as Dracula. Dearborn Heights residents in the cast include Shauna Hazime as Rosie, Karim Hazime as Chicken Soup and Samantha Hales as Rosie’s mother.
The preteen cast includes Dearborn residents Katie Wollard as Kathy, Ben Blessing as Pierre, Grace Bertucci as Chicken Soup, Sarah and Nicole Jennings as Lion, Abbi Balaka as Kathy’s mother, Sarah Randall as Johnny’s mother and Jimmy Gordon as the doctor. Dearborn Heights residents include Hope Lesniak as Rosie, Josephine Bryan as Alligator, Luke Adamkiewicz as Johnny and Mary Lesniak as Rosie’s mother.
The Nutshell Kid ensemble includes Dearborn residents Marjorie Gaber, Lucas Blessing, Jimmy Gordon, McKenna Komor, Allie Czarnecki, Jillian Oleski and Ava Moschet. Dearborn Heights youth in the ensemble include Olivia Flores, Alina Hazime, Aaliyah Flores and Julianna Flores. Others in the ensemble include Madalyn Walentowicz of Garden City; Lanie Pifer and Shoshanna Nimmo of Livonia; and Luna Grafton, Bailey Fallows and Bryce Fallows of Westland.
The show will be performed in an ampitheater style setting with tiered risers for an improved view of the performance.
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 10 years old. To purchase tickets in advance call (313) 799-3551 or go to
http://dhctstage2.ticketleap.com/really-rosie. Some tickets will be available at the door.
For more information call (313) 799-3551 or go to www.dhctstage.org.