What's it like to tour the country with a big Broadway musical? About 500 students from fifth grade through high school caught a glimpse at a presentation Friday at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
The students came to the center from schools in Modesto, Stockton, Oakdale, Manteca, Patterson and Denair and watched two dozen crew members set up lights and sets for Big League Productions' "My Fair Lady." The show will be performed today and Sunday. The visit was part of the Gallo Center's extensive arts education program.
"It's impressive how much time and effort it takes to do a show," said Karen Franco, a sophomore at the new Performing Arts Academy at Modesto High School.
The students watched as the crew put up lights and sets on the Rogers Theater stage and then heard presentations from Richard Leigh, the musical's production and stage manager; Erik Vose, the Gallo Center's director of production and technical operations; and Jim Johnson, the Gallo Center's arts education coordinator.
The students learned that a chorus member in the nonunion production makes about $500 a week and a lead performer makes about double that. In a union production, chorus members would make about $1,000 a week and lead performers would make closer to $2,000.
Hundreds auditioned in New York City for 21 roles, and the performers and crew rehearsed for only three weeks before the show went on tour. Many of the crew members, including Leigh, are also performers. Leigh said he has bachelor's and master's degrees in performance, but he said college degrees are no guarantee of a career in theater. He advised students who are serious about a career in performance to move to New York to take acting and dance lessons with people who are working in the industry.
"Keep your mind open," Leigh said. "Get your foot in the door any way you can. Would you rather be waiting tables or working backstage?"
About 30 Modesto-area crew members worked with the traveling crew to set up the show. Vose said the Gallo Center hires backstage workers age 18 and up and is always looking for help.
Prithika Charan, another sophomore at the Performing Arts Academy at Modesto High School, said she appreciated the information.
"It's really good to know," she said. "If my career plan of anthropology doesn't work out, I would definitely go into the theater."
Big League Productions' "My Fair Lady" will be performed at 2 and 8 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $39-$99; (209) 338-2100 or www.galloarts.org.
Bee arts writer Lisa Millegan Renner can be reached at lrenner@modbee.com or (209) 578-2313.
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