Lancer Productions is back at it again, ready to open the Musical James And The Giant Peach, which means I’m back at it again to get our dear readers of The Lance a look at the production. James And The Giant Peach is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1961 children's classic of the same name. It's about James, the titular British orphan who is adopted by his atrocious aunties Spiker and Sponge, when a mysterious man gives James a potion, which enlarges the peach, as well as a group of bugs, who then take an adventure in the peach across the Atlantic ocean.
I really just decided to do James And The Giant Peach because I wanted to try something new. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. I knew I was going to have a lot more free time, so I thought that since I love to sing, why not try it? -- Sophia Steiner
Lancer Productions has been hard at work to bring this story to life. We started working on this play almost 3 months ago, and over the past few days I’ve interviewed other members of the cast and crew to show you, dear reader, what has gone on behind the scenes. This show has welcomed many newcomers into Lancer Productions, so I interviewed a few of them to show you that everyone has a place in Lancer Productions.
Natalie Sierk
First, I talked to Natalie Sierk. Natalie is a sophomore, and she plays Lahdalord, the show's narrator, who pops in at various points throughout the story. This is Natalie’s first leading role, something that she spoke to me about, saying, “I feel honored, I feel like I have a lot of important shoes to fill. It’s really great to have this opportunity. I just can’t wait for everyone to see the show.” Playing this role has not been easy, however. As Lahdalord, she has faced a unique set of challenges. Since Lahdalord is the narrator, he swaps between roles frequently to appear within the story. This has been something that she has had to adapt to, telling me, “for me personally, I play a lot of different characters throughout the show and it's been hard for me to transition and get into character to character so quickly.” Seeing as how in our previous production, Radium Girls, I played six characters, I feel the pain. She also spoke about all the effort that went into this production. James And The Giant Peach is the culmination of almost 3 months of work, with nearly everyone in Lancer Production involved. In addition, this children's play is a musical, providing a special opportunity this year. She told me, “in this show in particular, I really enjoyed it because we got two musicals this year, and I've been really honored to be a part of both of them. I think another great part of it has been all the details that go into the props, and the choreography and everything.” Finally, when asked about her favorite fruit, she told me, “I like apples.”
Brayden Serrano
Next, I spoke to Brayden Serrano, a junior, who plays the Grasshopper. Brayden, like many others in the cast, has been working hard to prepare for this role: “I drink a lot of water to help my voice. I’ve been practicing my dancing a lot and have been looking over our recordings and notes a lot as well.” Brayden mentioned initially being intimidated by the role, as even though he has been in plenty of musicals before, he was still daunted by having such a major part. When asked about his struggles, he said one of his biggest hurdles was, “definitely getting comfortable with singing in front of everybody, because before I was really afraid. Grasshopper is a very vocally heavy role, so I was kinda frightened, but everyone is so welcoming.” Despite his struggles, his hard work, as well as all of the cast and crew, has come to fruition, and has come into his own as his character. When asked about the best part about the production, he told me, ““The best part has been seeing everyone grow and all of the scenes coming together. I formed a really close bond with my fellow cast members and have become friends with people I’ve never could have imagined because of the age gap.” Finally, I asked him the most important question: his favorite fruit. He responded, telling me, “Strawberries.”
Sophia Steiner
I then moved on to talking to Sophia Steiner, a senior, who plays Spider. Although this is not Sophie’s first show with Lancer Productions, this is her on stage debut after being in the costume crew for Radium Girls. When asked why she auditioned, she told me, “I really just decided to do James And The Giant Peach because I wanted to try something new. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. I knew I was going to have a lot more free time, so I thought that since I love to sing, why not try it?” Even though Sophie has extensive experience in Choir, including making All State twice in a row, it has still been a struggle adapting to the stage in a new context. She came into the show unfamiliar with acting and being in musicals, as she said to me, “I think the most challenging part so far has really just been understanding my character and being confident and comfortable with being on stage and playing a character, and just getting into it.” However, despite her struggles, it has still been an immensely rewarding experience. Everyone is welcome in Lancer Productions, and everyone has been eager to welcome her. She told me that, “my favorite part has been meeting all the new people and having fun. Rehearsals are really long, but I think the people make it worth it.” Finally, to close off our interview, I asked her what her favorite fruit is, to which she responded, “I’d love to say peach, but it’s actually watermelon.”
Yorton Hagedorn
I continued my journey by talking with Yorton Hagedorn. Yordy, as he is commonly known, is a senior, and is in the ensemble. Unlike Sophia, Yordy doesn’t come from a quite as extensive music background. When asked why he decided to do this show, he answered, “I just tried to do this show because I honestly had nothing better to do with my winter and I wanted to try something new. I also couldn’t get a job, so I decided to do theater.” Yordy is a primarily athletic centered person in his extracurricular activities, playing both Track and Cross Country. His last music experience was choir in freshman year. Despite this all, he has worked to adapt to his new environment, telling me, “the hardest part is definitely singing and dancing. It's been a while since I’ve been in choir. It’s kinda similar to learning music.” Despite this, like with Sophie, Lancer Productions has welcomed him into our midst, as he told me, “the best part has definitely been the people, just everyone around here. I love talking to them, I get to see them everyday.”
Kaitlyn Knepper
Finally, I finished by talking to Kaitlyn Knepper, a junior. She is a techie, meaning all of her work consists of things behind the curtain, so to speak. When asked about what she does, she told me that, “For the show, I am spotlighting, I’m teaching people how to run mics, as well as sound effects, and I’m planning the preshow children’s activities.” Seeing the show outside of an acting experience is both familiar and different. While Kaitlyn is a perennial techie, she competes with North Scott Speech, and also was in Radium Girls as an actor. When asked what her biggest challenge was, she told me it was, “Planning all of my stuff and getting it all together.” Seeing as how much she does behind the scenes, that's not surprising. I then asked her what she enjoyed most about the show, she told me, “I really like the energy, like all the choreography. I have a really fun time watching it when I’m not doing a lot during the show.” Finally, when asked what her favorite fruit was she answered simply: “Apple.”
So Let That Curtain Rise!
James And The Giant Peach has been a truly magical experience. Not just for me, not just among the seasoned Lancer Productions members, but also all the newcomers to the show. For a large portion of the cast, this is their first show with LP, not just on stage but backstage too. LP always has a place for you. In the meantime however, go see the show. Performances are Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2 and 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm. You can buy your tickets here. Come see it! Right Before Your Eyes!
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