Broadway with a message.
This, in a nutshell, is what theatergoers can expect when Brigham Young University's world-renowned performing troupe, the Young Ambassadors, take to the Promised Valley Playhouse's main stage with their fast-paced production of Michael McLean's new musical revue, "Celebrating the Light.""We're excited about this show," says Janielle Christensen, artistic director for the Young Ambassadors. "It's different from most of the shows we tour with. We feel strongly about the message of the show and the uplifting effect that it will have on families."
"Celebrating the Light" opens Thursday and runs through Sept 2, playing Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. nightly, with the exception of July 21-22 when PVP has been scheduled to present two evening concerts of opera excerpts as a finale to the Interntional Vocal School. Reserved seats for are $4 each. For reservations and information, contact the PVP box office at 364-5696.
When Christensen talks about the Young Ambassadors delivering Broadway-caliber, professional-level performances, she isn't joshing.
The company isn't just a bunch of dancers and singers who rehearse two or three times a week in their spare time. Being a member of the BYU Young Ambassadors is practically a full-time occupation. The troupe comprises the cream of the crop from the school's huge talent pool.
Professional? Maybe not in the purely technical sense, but they've certainly got impressive credentials.
Take Orlando Pena, for instance. He came out to Utah a couple of years ago as an Equity actor from New York City to perform in "On Your Toes" at Pioneer Memorial Theatre. A visit to Temple Square made a lasting impression on the young actor, who converted to the LDS Church and is now a musical-dance student in BYU's theater department.
Pena recently had an opportunity to join the national touring company of "Starlight Express." His New York agent even flew Pena from Utah to New York for the auditions - but Pena opted to continue his studies at BYU and remain with the Young Ambassadors.
Melinda Farnsworth, who missed one season with the Young Ambassadors to work at Opryland in Nashville, Tenn., had a personnal invitation to become a Disney Girl for the new Disney-MGM Studio theme park near Orlando. Farnsworth, too, decided to stay with the Youmg Ambassadors rather than accept Disney's prestigious offer.
Christensen noted that the Disney entertainment directors conduct yearly auditions on the BYU campus and never fail to be impressed by the school's exceptional array of talent.
Auditions for the Young Ambassadors program itself are held during December. All of those auditioning must be full-time students and are required to maintain a high grade-point average.
Winter semester is spent learning new routines and rehearsing for the big touring production. During the spring semester, the Young Ambassadors do not attend regular classes, but are involved with a four or five-week international tour - for which they are booked at least four years in advance. The youths do get some academic credit for the tour.
Summer is spent with the internship program at Promised Valley Playhouse, and during the school's fall semester, they tour locally and regionally.
Christensen said several hundred students turn out for the Young Ambassador auditions, and the large turnout allows the program's directors to be "very selective and acquire highly professional performers."
Besides being proficient soloists and dancers, Young Ambassador members must possess the ability to communicate with people.
"Some of our favorite times are visiting with audiences after the shows," said Christensen.
Experiences they've had during their global tours could also fill a good-size book.
Like when they toured India two years ago and were scheduled for a 15-minute audience with Mother Theresa. The renowned humanitarian was so touched by the Young Ambassadors' humility and energy, she invited them to remain for the entire day and visit some of her terminally ill patients - an unheard-of offer - and the BYU youths went individually from bed to bed, talking to each patient, singing to them and showing them their love and concern.
"Mother Theresa was amazed at the way the the youths held and embraced the people. She had never met young people so sensitive and understanding," Christensen said.
Members of the current Young Ambassadors troupe are David Barrus, 22, Minneapolis, Minn.; Melinda Farnsworth, 21, Provo; Scott Frogley, 22, Davenport, Iowa; Romy Fuller, 20, Salt Lake City; Shawn Holdaway, 25, Mudlake, Idaho; Allison Holsinger, 19, Washington, D.C.; Jenny Jordan, 20, Orem; Lita Little, 28, Rialto, Calif.; Holly McBride, 18, Reno, Nev.; Laurie Mohlman, 22, Seattle, Wash.; Marc Olivier, 23, Eugene, Ore.; Ron Paul, 22, Altadena, Calif.; Orlando Pena, 23, New York City; and Jason Rasmussen, 22, Rexburg, Idaho.
The company's four backup musicians are Mark Judd, drums; Brian Jensen, keyboard; Trey Vittetoe, guitar; and Bill Wright, bass.
The Young Ambassadors just returned from a 30-day tour through the South and several Caribbean islands.
It takes about four hours to set up the touring show each day. Each member of the troupe, including performers and crew, are assigned to specific techical jobs - wiring, assembling risers, building towers, focusing lights, setting costumes and helping with the loading and unloading of equipment for a two-hour show that includes 200 costume changes.
After taking another 90 minutes to strike the set (often after spending time to meet with the audience after the show), the Young Ambassadors then go back to their host families, who often want to talk to their guests from Utah until 1 or 2 in the morning.
Then they're back up at 7 a.m. to do it all over again.
It makes you wonder when they're able to recharge all that energy their shows are known for. But just making the trip from Provo to Salt Lake City and back every night during the run of their Promised Valley Playhouse show - and being able to leave the PVP sets intact - should be child's play compared to the usual touring regimen.
"It's a love of performing and the love for the people they reach that keeps them going. They sacrifice a lot," Christensen said. "In the Dominican Republic (on the most recent tour) they went for several days without many of the things we take for granted - running water, etc., but they met those challenges with great dignity."
-THE SUMMER SHOW at Promised Valley Playhouse is a little different from the company's touring production, although some of Michael McLean's songs were given a trial run during youth firesides and elsewhere during the recently completed tour.
Work on some of the arrangements began in January. Christensen said that in performing some of these songs for Caribbean audiences they found that McLean's material has a universal appeal.
"Many people think, `My goodness, this is just the way I feel. He wrote this just for me,' " Christensen noted.
For the summer musical, the Young Ambassadors crew is augmented by the PVP production team.
Composer-playwright Michael McLean is directing the show, with Randy Boothe as vocal director, Mark Huffman as choreographer and Ron Simpson, orchestration. The latter three are members of the YA creative team.
Sets for "Celebrating the Light" have been designed by Seven Nielsen, renowned designer for a number of major productions around the country, including scenery for both the George Bush and Ronald Reagan inauguration programs and the spectacular sets for last year's production of "Annie."
Christensen considers Huffman her "right-hand man" in putting the Young Ambassadors' shows together, including "Celebrating the Light."
His research in the art of choreography for musical theater has placed his innovative approach to dance on the cutting edge of today's music theater scene. Huffman, who enjoys staging and directing summer stock and community theater, is in demand for college and high school workshops across the country.
He has also worked with children's movement education and has enjoyed considerable success as a movement specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts.
"When performers come to audition," says Huffman, "obviously we are interested in their ability to sing, act and dance, but more importantly we are interested in individuals who care about people and who are willing to give of their time and talent to present a program that will reach people both on and off the stage."
-NOTE: While invitations to PVP's formal "opening night gala" list July 13 as the show's premiere, it really does open to the public on July 6 - sort of like they do on Broadway, with a few "preview" performances prior to the official opening.