|
 It’s a family affair at the annual summer musical at Royersford Baptist Church. Several families have multiple generations performing or working behind the scenes of this year’s show, “My Fair Lady.”
The Lerner and Loewe musical will be presented by the RBC Players Wednesday, Aug. 15 to Saturday, Aug. 18. Directed by Dianne Umstead, the show is the 15th summer production at the Upper Providence church.
RBC member Sandy Smoyer has been involved in all but two of the shows. This is also the sixth show for her grandson, 15-year-old Scott McMaster. Smoyer is a part of the chorus and has several small parts. McMaster is also in the chorus and plays the embassy footman.
“I guess it’s pretty fun because we’re always doing different stuff every year, different dances and different songs,” McMaster said. “It’s fun to be with her while we’re doing it.”
His grandmother added, “I think it’s neat. We’ve really bonded.” McMaster, who is going into ninth grade in the Souderton Area School District, stays with his grandmother for the week of the show.
McMaster was at his first play before he was a week old, his grandmother related, and has always been at rehearsals. “I just noticed right away that this kid was going to like this,” she remarked.
Smoyer’s sister Anna Neiffer is also in the show, and both of their husbands help make props. In addition, Neiffer’s husband, Fred, makes Sunday dinners for the thespians, and on the Sunday before the show he makes pies for the whole cast and crew.
This year’s show has about 25 people in the cast, and close to 40 when including all the painters and stage crew and set builders. Several other families also have multiple members involved in the production, including a young woman, her brother and her adopted daughter, as well as costume director Amy Wheeler and her young son Noah.
“It’s pretty much a whole family thing,” McMaster commented. In fact, last year’s show featured a husband and wife as the leads, with three of their children in the cast and another on the stage crew.
Wheeler has been involved in 11 shows and one youth production, and this is Noah’s fourth performance. “He cried until he was old enough to be able to do it,” Wheeler said. Every year the youngster would ask is he was old enough. “He’s a theater kid,” she remarked.
“I like the fact that we’re both involved in something together, something that’s bigger than just us,” Wheeler reflected. “It’s kind of powerful.”
Smoyer commented, “I look forward to it every summer. I’m creative, and it’s a way to get my creativity juices going.”
“I think this is my favorite so far,” McMaster said of the six shows he’s been in. “I think every year they get better.” His grandmother quickly added that the teen is juggling in the opening scene of this year’s show, as a street person trying to get money. He taught himself to juggle, she added proudly.
“My Fair Lady,” with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, will be performed by the RBC Players Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 15 to 18, 7:30 p.m., at the church, 425 S. Lewis Road, Royersford. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased via the church website, www.rbcabc.org, or by calling the church office, 610-948-4170.
The church’s interim pastor, Marcia Ricketts, is the assistant director. Samantha Wanner takes the role of Eliza Doolittle; Bill Mason, Professor Henry Higgins, and Jeff Hunsicker, Higgins’ friend Col. Pickering.
|