I am DELIGHTED to say that I visited a Beauty and the Beast rehearsal and run the other night, and was so impressed with the progress everyone is making on the show.?  It’s going to be great!

Our Director and Choreographer Helen Buck is doing a wonderful job with the show.?  She has choreographed this show 3 times elsewhere, so she knows what she’s doing and has brought a lot of great ideas to the production!

Casting was spot-on, all of the actors are doing great.?  The show really moves nicely and the scene transitions are seamless, which is often hard to do with kids’ shows.

I’m very excited about this show and can’t wait for everyone to come see it!

Tracy Whiteside, NFT Education Manager

I am thrilled to be playing Mrs. Potts! Beauty and the Beast was actually the first stage production I ever saw, I was in kindergarden. However, I never actually saw the movie until after I was casted as Mrs. Potts.

My experience with NFTYE has always been a positive one. I’ve been with the company since the first show (High School Musical in the fall of 2006!) and working with Helen (Director) is always wonderful. Helen really teaches you and lets you teach yourself, about your character. She helps you become your character, and doing so by finding out your characters background story and what makes he/she the was he/she is. It’s a really good way to be creative as well. In most cases, you can create a whole story about your character prior what the audience sees. Which makes it even cooler when those deeper feelings shine though on stage.

Beauty and the Beast with NFT has been a magical time and I can’t wait to share it with the audience! Thanks for reading and I hope you get the chance to Be Our Guest and join in the magic of the show.

Nadia

Nadia Pelletier is a 17 year old junior at West Chicago Community High School.

I feel that playing the role of Belle is very surreal for me. I’ve always dreamed of being in the spotlight on stage. Before I started doing community theater, I would do the shows at my middle school. I realized that actually lowered my self esteem about my acting and singing abilities, because I was never given large parts on those shows. Having a small part isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but back then I thought it was. It was after I did High School Musical 2 this summer at NFT, I started to feel more confident with my skills. So after HSM2, I started trying out for more community theater shows. I just recently got done playing the role of Grace Farrell in the show “Annie” at Rising Star Theatreworks. That made me much more confident, and helped me improve my skills. So getting this fantastic role really helps me see how much I’ve improved in just one year. I’m very excited!

NFT has helped me come out of my shell. The people here are very talented and hardworking, and each show or class is another fantastic experience. I’ve learned that you have to be very focused in each show you do. You need to focus on the blocking, and choreography, because we need to move fast. And after interning for numerous classes for kids at the NFT Academy, it really helps me see how many kids really want to be involved in theater. And I’m glad they’ve decided to go to NFT for proper training, because it really is a great palce to grow as a person and actor.

For my audition, I was in a very big rush deciding my monologue and song. I was going to sing “On My Own” from the musical Les Mis. But after Helen Buck (director) convinced me out of it, I decided to sing the song “Astonishing” from the musical, Little Woman. I thought it was a good choice, especially for the musical and the parts I was aiming for. My monologue on the other hand, was a tougher choice for me. I didn’t find one until the night before the audition. Which I do not recommend to kids at ALL. It was such terrible planning on my part, but I was just lucky enough to get it all memorized in time for the audition. I did a monologue from “The Notebook”, because it was kind of a sweet and innocent monologue. So I thought it was a good choice. Before my actual audition, I just took lots of deep breaths and drank lots of water too. And I didn’t worry too much, because that could have really affected my audition!

For kids hoping to pursue more acting when they’re older, just believe in yourself. I had that issue for awhile, and that’s why I wasn’t landing the parts I wanted. You just need to picture yourself as that character for awhile, and at your audition. And if you just don’t fit that part, it’s no big deal! You just need to hav confidence in yourself, and anything can happen!

Gabby

Actor Steve Sledzinski blogs about his experience of playing The Beast in Beauty and the Beast!

I love theater, there is nothing else like it in the world. My biggest passion is improv and sketch comedy and I hope to do that somehow for the rest of my life. In the meantime, I am thrilled to be playing The Beast in NFT’s youth ensemble production of Beauty and the Beast. It was actually a last min audition for me, I was asked by several people who I enjoy greatly, so I showed up to audition. And I got the part!

I have been doing theater since I was about 10 years old (I’m 19 now) and have been a part of almost every aspect of the theater from backstage to center-stage, from dancing to singing to acting. I’ve done plays, musicals, talent shows anything that gets me to do what I love. I have done things at the Paramount (RENT) and the Arcada (many Rising Star productions) and this summer I will be lucky enough to be in a sketch comedy troupe that will be in a show case at the Chicago Institute of the Performing Arts!

Rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast have begun…I’ll be sure to keep you psoted on the progress!

Steve

Hey guys, it’s Kelsey! I am so excited to be in Beauty and the Beast and blogging for the first time!!! Today is March 7th and today we had our first fitting!!! Everyone looks so great in their cosutmes and it’s so exciting to get another piece of the final show added to the mix!!! Some costumes are very interesting..like spatula and the wardrobe!!! Sorry Sarah and Shayla!!! I am so excited for tomorrow when we will be on stage with costumes and (hopefully) props!! Props being added to “Belle” will totally bring the song to life! See you all tomorrow! Till next time, -Kelsey

Each month, NFT Performing Arts Academy selects an outstanding student to be featured in the Student Spotlight of the Month. The selected student is featured in the NFT Playbill and on the blog. Our Student Spotlight recipient for February is Katie Jackovin!

Katie Jackovin is a talented, witty, 11-year old from Bartlett who has loved performing on stage since she was very young – singing and dancing for her family on her fireplace hearth ’stage’!

At age 3, Katie started dance training. “I have watched Katie grow into a beautiful and talented young lady,” says Instructor TraLynette Kuti. “She has transformed from a shy, quiet girl to a bold and daring dancer who works hard at making her performance the best it can be.”

Katie found her love for acting in her first performance class at NFT Performing Arts Academy as Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof in 2008. Since then, she’s taken many other perofmrnace classes where her roles have included Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in The Music Man, Jafar in Arabian Nights, and Tess in Disney’s Camp Rock. She has enjoyed her tutelage under Director and Education Manager Tracy Whiteside. “Katie has emerged as a leader amoung her peers by always knowing her lines, lyrics and choreography,” said Tracy. “Her skills improve because she works hard. I love casting her as the ‘mean girl’ because she is so confident on stage. She has a strong singing voice which makes her all the better. She is well deserving of this honor.”

One of her favorite NFT memories has been playing ‘mean girl’ Sharpay in High School Musical, also getting to perform her favorite song “Bop to the Top’. “It’s really fun to play someone who is very different from me,” says Katie.

Katie has also enjoyed several singing classes at NFT, including songs from The Little Mermaid and Tarzan, and songs from Fame and Pocahontas, where she shined in her solo songs.

“I’ve had so much fun at NFT, learning so much about acting, how to use my voice, and how to audition,” said Katie.

She has expanded her dance training into Hip Hop and Musical Theater.???? Dance Teacher Richard Gaines adds, “As an arts teacher almost 20 years I have had the opportunity to teach many students. I get very excited when a student has a little extra twinkle, a bit more enthusiasm and a touch more shine to them. Katie possesses these qualities and more. She has a tremendous chance at attaining her dreams, and you can count on seeing her name in print for years to come.”

As in performing, Katie puts 100% effort into her academic education, and has received the Principal’s Award each of the last 3 years and has been invited to participate in Math League.???? “I have truly enjoyed having Katie as one of my students this year,” said her 6th grade teacher Ms. Brynn Springer. “I know that her work ethic is not only shown in the classroom, but outside as well. Katie enters the room every day with a great big smile and a positive attitude, and it makes my day a little brighter.”

Katie also enjoys participating in Cadette Girl Scouts. In addition to service projects like donating time to talk and groom dogs in a local animal shelter (Girl Scout Bronze Award), Katie’s planning to attend a Girl Scout workshop in June with members of the cast and behind-the-scenes crew of the Broadway production of Wicked in New York.

Katie would like to pursue an acting career, though singing is a close second.

My name is Juddson Updike and this is my first time working with Noble Fool Theatricals.?? I play Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and I’m really excited! I just finished up a production of Alice in Wonderland, and went straight to this show. This was my first full weekend of rehearsal and it was fun! I didn’t know anyone but several people came up to me and introduced themselves and we became friends right off the bat. I mostly spend my time hanging out with the other enchanted objects, i.d. Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Babette and the Wardrobe. Don’t forget Chip! They’re a great group of actresses and I like working with them. Cogsworth and I have a lot of parts together, we’re kind of the comic relief in the show. We’ve been working on singing all our songs and we’re all sounding so good! I can’t wait until we get to block some more of the scenes: I just love talking in a French accent.

Juddson Updike, Lemiere

2/14/10

Hey everybody it’s Jessica Blakely!

Today was our second rehearsal for Beauty and the Beast.?? We’re just getting started and we’ve made great progress.?? We have already sung through most of the songs and the harmony is well on its way.?? The song “Gaston” is a really fun song to work on because the pace is quick and keeps us on our toes. I can’t wait to learn the blocking for it! Our Director, Helen Buck, has told us that we will have many costume changes and that the costumes for this show are going to be awesome!

There are some new faces this time around and it is exciting to get to know them while reuniting with old friends and castmates. That’s all for now. I will keep you updated as we progress!!!!!!!!!!

-Jessica Blakely, playing Flower Seller, Villager, Enchanted Object, U/S Silly Girl

16-year old actor and St. Charles resident Alex Adams plays the role of 15-year old Eddie Pazinski in the NFT production of Over the Tavern. This St. Charles East High School sophomore has been performing for almost 5 years, many of those years performing on the NFT stage in several Youth Ensemble productions.?? Some of his favorite roles have been: Fagin in Oliver, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka, Judas in Godspell, George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play and Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.?? His is active in his school drama club and interns for many NFT Performing Arts Academy classes.?? He loves all aspects of the theater and when not rehearsing or performing he is an avid video gamer.

Landing your first professional acting job with Noble Fool must have taken a lot of preparation on your part.?? What experiences have helped you develop into the performer you are today?

Well, varied roles at many different theaters gave me a strong basic knowledge of acting and how to prepare a role.?? I have a lof of experience in different kinds of theater that I’ve learned over the past 5 years.?? Working with strong casts (Godspell and?? High School Musical 2 at NFT) has helped me learn from performers that are very different from me.?? I’ve also taken lots of classes, seminars and lessons both in and out of school in drama and music.

Describe your character, Eddie, in this show.?? Are there any challenges to portraying him?

Eddie is a boy from my parents’ generation (growing up in the 50’s and 60’s) when there was basically no electronic entertainment.?? He has 3 siblings, one of them is special needs and the family is strongly Catholic.?? I am an only child that loves video games and computers!?? The challenge for me is to find the sense of respect and fear that kids had for their parents and teachers back then without losing the teenage boy aspect of the character.

Do you have any superstitions or pre-show routines that you follow before going on stage?

Unlike many performers, I don’t have any set superstitions or rituals before performing.?? I just try to mellow out with my IPod and find my character during pre-show.

What roles would you like to play someday?

At this point, I am really enjoying musical theatre.?? Some of my dream roles are: Claude in Hair, Roger in Rent and Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors.