A behind the scenes look at Mission Theatre's ‘The Music Man'

Now that school has started in Fallbrook, it won’t be too long before the Fallbrook High football stadium and fields will be filled with cheering parents and family friends supporting their children as they partake in a pastime they love. The hard-working actors and dancers at Mission Theatre deserve the same support, and it was evident that their passion and love for their art requires just as much dedication as any sport.

This was evident with CAST Academy’s summer camp presentation of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.” It was clear that camp director Jennifer Craw and director Oscar Escobedo had worked hard to get the actors to do give their best performances, even as they ended their summer production on Aug. 14.

Behind the scenes, the children were comfortable in their costumes, and happy to be going on stage. As they waited in anticipation for the show to begin, the youngest actors, instead of being the chatterboxes, were the ones policing each other to make sure that it was truly silent behind stage.

Once the play began, the children got to show off their acting, dancing and singing abilities. Each has been working hard, and the favorite numbers from the musical, such as “76 Trombones,” “Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little,” “Marian the Librarian,” and “Goodnight My Someone” were performed to the best of everyone’s ability.

CAST Academy's summer camp had several sessions, with each guaranteeing that enrolled students would be given a role in the production. Every student performed in each of the five performances, which cannot be said for some players who invest in athletics. There’s simply no way that a sports team can compete with the inclusiveness of CAST Academy’s summer program.

From 8:30 a.m. to noon, Mondays through Fridays for two weeks, students practiced, rehearsed and prepared for each production. Each child had the potential to become more confident in who he or she was as an actor, and it showed on performance days.

The CAST Academy, which offers dancing lessons, has helped children who love the arts become the best they can be for years. Dancers of all ages can become confident at the academy, and its students are proud to perform for everyone.

Just because summer is over does not mean there are not other opportunities for children to participate in the arts. Scrooge the Musical, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” will be performed from Dec. 9 to 23. In addition, dance classes are offered for individuals of all ages at CAST Academy.

Mission Theatre is located at 200 North Main Ave., Fallbrook. For more information on Mission Theatre and CAST Academy, call (760) 731-2278, email [email protected], or go to www.missiontheatre.com.