After years of being in awe of Royal City Musical Theatre productions, Coquitlam's Shannon Hanbury finally plucked up the nerve to audition for its upcoming show.
Not that the Grade 12 Archbishop Carney regional high school student needed courage on her side. At 17, she is already a polished performer, having played many times with Theatre Under The Stars and other musical theatre companies.
Hanbury knew she didn't want to miss out on this one, though. She could portray a showgirl - a life-long dream - inThe Will Rogers Follies, a musical about the life of the 1920s cowboy/humourist that uses the Ziegfeld Follies as a backdrop.
Luckily, Hanbury not only knew the director, choreographer and artistic director, Port Coquitlam's Valerie Easton, but she also landed the part of Rogers' sister.
"It was so exciting for me," said Hanbury, who is the great-great-greatdaughter of William and Marion Malkin, for which the Stanley Park Malkin Bowl is named.
Hanbury is one of eight Tri-City cast members in the high-energy and colourful show that bursts with bright lights, flashy costumes, dazzling dance numbers, an overwhelming set and a cheerful score.
It runs at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster next month, complete with an 18-piece orchestra under James Bryson.
And let's not forget the fancy rope tricks.Easton brought in a professional wrangler to show the cast of 16 girls and 12 guys how to spin and loop.
Stepping out of a comfort zone isn't such a bad thing, Easton said, but she is also mindful of her cast's age. RCMT's mandate is to encourage young talent and some of the cast members in this show - like Hanbury - aren't out school yet.
Still, the older ones are professionals "and they want to make this their lives," Easton said of their performing careers. "This is their love and what they want to do. They make it their priority and can juggle what they need to in their lives."
Easton has her hands full, too.
Even before The Will Rogers Follies closes, she and Matt Palmer, the actor who plays Rogers, will be in rehearsal for Hairspray, an Arts Club Theatre production that starts in May at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (Easton is the choreographer while Palmer plays Corny Collins).
As for Hanbury, she'll be getting ready for graduation in June and, in September, for Los Angeles where she'll be studying for her BFA at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, a world-renowned conservatory for the performing arts.
TheWill Rogers Follies runs at Massey Theatre (735 Eighth Ave., New Westminster) from April 7 to April 23 at 8 p.m. Matinees are on April 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 2 p.m. Tickets at $20 to $39 are available through 604-521-5050.
