DURYEA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local theater group comprised of young people from our area is getting ready to bring the curtain up on a musical production, never performed in our area.
The youngsters are hosting a fundraiser to keep doors and the curtain calls coming for many more performances.
The cast of 23 at Phoenix Performing Arts Center gave 28/22 News an exclusive inside look at what they have been working on for the past few weeks, Beetlejuice, Junior.
"We are going to be the premier production of Beetlejuice Junior, which means we're gonna be the first ones in the area to give it a shot," stated Lee Lachette, managing director & owner of Phoenix Performing Arts Center.
Rebecca Lovett, who will be playing the lead female role, Barbara Maitland, says she was in disbelief when she learned that she got the role.
"I was so excited I was like not expecting it. It was kind of crazy and it's really exciting to play her. I'm so excited."
Julian Biederman says playing "Beetlejuice" is a role he's always dreamed of playing.
"This role has always been, like stuck out of me as one like oh wow, that's really really cool to see that on stage and when I saw that I would get the opportunity to be him, I was freaking out. I think I paced around my house about five times before I even sat down and read the rest of the cast list."
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The show and the theatre mean a lot to this young group of actors and actresses and the staff at Phoenix Performing Arts. To help keep the curtain up, the music playing and bring more performances to the area.
They are hosting a fundraiser to help with expenses the theme of the event is a Night at the Races.
"We usually do four a year quarterly fundraisers to fund the shows and fund scholarship so any of the kids can be involved in the shows that we do because they do cost money to be put on."> Rebecca Lovett says she hopes when the audience sees these young people perform, they feel joy, explained Ruth Lovett, a board member at Phoenix Performing Arts Center.
"It's absolutely the most the biggest honor a director can have a lot of the kids that I have here in Phoenix started when they were very young and now some of them have grown up and gone onto college," said Lachette.
Bravo and Here's to You kids! For more information on show dates, Phoenix Performing Arts Center, and the fundraiser check out their Facebook.
If you have a youngster we should feature, nominate them on the Here's To You Kid section of our website.
