Theater group opens show at Gavilan College tonight
Limelight Productions, a San Benito County-based children’s
theater company, will transform the Gavilan College Theatre into
ancient China for its performances of Disney’s
”
Mulan
”
Dec. 10-12. The show includes a cast of 32 students, ranging in
age from 8 to 16.
Sally Hail, the director of the play and a part-owner of the
company with Jessica Smiley, a choreographer, chose Disney’s
”
Mulan
”
for the December show.
Theater group opens show at Gavilan College tonight
Limelight Productions, a San Benito County-based children’s theater company, will transform the Gavilan College Theatre into ancient China for its performances of Disney’s “Mulan” Dec. 10-12. The show includes a cast of 32 students, ranging in age from 8 to 16.
Sally Hail, the director of the play and a part-owner of the company with Jessica Smiley, a choreographer, chose Disney’s “Mulan” for the December show.
“She always wanted to do it and it’s always been in her mind,” said Patti Saso, the show’s producer, of Hail. “She thought this would be the perfect time to do it.”
Saso said the students enjoy the music and the storyline.
“It’s one of the stories that actually has a female hero and a female character that saves the story,” she said. “Most Disney stories are the damsel in distress. This one is the reverse in that the lady saves the man, which is great to teach our young ladies today.”
The young performers have been practicing at Sunnyslope School three days a week since September. One of the challenges is that they only have one opportunity to rehearse at Gavilan College before their opening night performance on Dec. 10.
“The facility is such a great facility,” Saso said. “It is state of the art. It has great sound, stadium seating. It’s really cool for kids to perform on that kind of stage. We don’t have a place like that in Hollister with state-of-the-art sound and lighting.”
The theater company used the same process last year when it put on its inaugural show, “A Christmas Carol.”
“The hardest thing is not having the set, not being able to work with the set and prop pieces until most likely the day of the performance,” Saso said. “What is so amazing is that when they come to the stage, even though they’ve never worked with the set or props, you would never know.”
In the week before the opening show, parent volunteers were still finalizing costumes, set pieces and props.
“Parent help is extremely important,” Saso said. “They basically all help. The costume and props use a lot of volunteer (work) by parents.”
Of the kids in the production, Saso said a dozen are seasoned actors who have been in Limelight Productions shows or in performances by other theater companies.
“Mostly the older kids are the ones who have the experience,” she said. “A few that are 8, this is their first play ever. It is very exciting to see them participate in everything and their whole take on it.”
Disney’s ‘Mulan’
Limelight Productions presents Disney’s “Mulan,” Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Dec. 12 at 4 p.m., with performances at the Gavilan College Theatre (Parking Lot A), 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd., in Gilroy. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under or seniors 55 and over, or $40 for a family pack of four tickets. Tickets are available at West Coast Music and Dance FX, at www.showclix.com or by calling 635-0553 or 524-6667.
