Double Feature of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN JR. and MAGIC TREE HOUSE KIDS Will Be Performed at Carpe Diem Theater This Weekend

Carpe Diem Theater (Alex Van den Heever, Executive Director and Brady Walsh, Artistic Director), now in its 10th Season, announced today that company campers will have residents of the Capital Region "walking down the lane with a happy refrain" when they perform their double bill of Singin' in the Rain Jr. and The Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS this July 30 and 31.

The rafters of the Round Lake Auditorium, Carpe Diem's home since its inception in 2011, are set to be ringing once more with the voices (as well as the sound of tap shoes for this year's mainstage production) of close to 70 campers from across the Capital Region.

Stella Myers, a rising freshman from Niskayuna High School who is spending her first summer with Carpe Diem and is thrilled to be playing her first-ever leading role, the iconic Lina Lamont, said of the family-oriented program: "It's been such a fun experience to get to know people that love the same things I do. Everybody here has been so welcoming and so kind. Even though it's my first time, it doesn't feel like my first time."

The double bill will have 4 performances later this month on Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31 at 1:00PM and 7:00PM. Each performance will begin with Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS, performed by the camp's Carpe Diem Kids, for Grades 2-6. Jack and Annie, siblings, visit a magic tree house filled with a magnificent collection of books that can transport the reader to the wonderful faraway settings. Jack and Annie soon discover they have arrived in the 18th century - the time of pirates. They are immediately captured by the dastardly Captain Bones, the "dirtiest, scurviest, most evil-eyed, nefarious, rottenest rat on the sea," with no hope of release unless they can somehow locate a legendary hidden treasure. The performance will run about 45 minutes.

Following intermission, Carpe Diem's program for Grades 7-10, Summer Stars, will perform Singin' in the Rain Jr. Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the perfect couple in silent movies and in the tabloids, but behind the scenes Lockwood has no feelings for his vapid co-star. Meanwhile, Lamont's squeaky voice might be the end of the duo's career in "talking pictures" without the help of a talented young actress to do the talking and singing for her. The performance will run about 60 minutes.

"Through their productions, these students are learning about the golden age of musicals, a very important period in America's cultural history. And while they are performing songs and a story that we know and love, they are also exploring some significant ideas including the different sides of celebrity, the importance of adapting to change, the realities behind pursuing one's dreams, and enjoying the simple pleasures of everyday life" says Drew Cohen, President of Music Theatre International (MTI).

Carpe Diem Theater has found success in its self-sustaining Counselor Program, which gives students the opportunity to direct the program once they have aged out of performing in its shows. Students who have completed 10th, 11th, and 12th grade take over as Counselors-in-Training, Junior Counselors, and Senior Counselors respectively. This year's productions were created by Senior Counselors Grace Glastetter, Emily Hinckley, Hannah Hughes, Alli Marion, Ella Palmer, and Jack Whalen.

"I've seen it transform them," said Albert Orion Rust III of his peers. Rust, a rising senior at Ballston Spa High School, is a former camper who is now the camp's Junior Tech Director. He went on to say "It's amazing to see my peers, who I've always considered my friends, step up and take roles in leadership. It's a special environment, we have a ton of fun, and it's what has made Carpe Diem mean so much to so many people."

After cancelling the 2020 Season because of the Covid-19 pandemic, founder and former owner Joe Shaver took the gap year to consider the camp's future, ultimately selling it to Alex Van den Heever and Brady Walsh, two of the program's founding counselors, last fall. Van den Heever and Walsh are former residents of the area, having graduated from Ballston Spa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake respectively in 2010. Shaver, a graduate of Lansingburgh High School and teacher of 19 years at Ballston Spa Middle School, has continued to serve as Advisor to Carpe Diem Theater for the 2021 Season.

"It's been hard for me to figure out how to improve something that has surpassed every dream we ever thought we could reach," said Shaver, "But I am confident that this development will enhance the Carpe Diem program and am grateful to have these two talented and bright young minds carry on the spirit and tradition that they helped to create nearly 10 years ago. Together we will move this much loved and important program into a bright and exciting future."

Hannah Hughes, who has been with the program since she was in 5th grade, is now Carpe Diem's Senior Stage Manager. She and the rest of the Senior Counselors are thrilled to once more bring in live audiences to see Carpe Diem's magic onstage.

"Missing last year was pretty upsetting, since we look forward to Carpe Diem all year long. It feels so great to be back and help new kids grow the same ways I have as a camper and now as a counselor," said Hughes.

This is Hughes' last summer with the program before she attends Emerson College in Boston, MA to study Journalism. She knows audiences that have been stuck indoors throughout the pandemic are in for a real treat with Carpe Diem's performances this month. "The kids have worked really hard and they're going to be amazing. We're really proud of everyone involved and we want everyone to see that."

Performances of both shows will be at 1pm and 7pm on Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31 at the Round Lake Auditorium, 2 Wesley Avenue, Round Lake, NY. Tickets are $10 and general admission, sold at the door. Parking is at the Zim Smith Trailhead parking lot, just outside of the Village of Round Lake.

For more information regarding programming, history, and their leadership, visit Carpe Diem's website carpediemtheater.org or Facebook and Instagram @carpediemtheater.

Singin' In The Rain Jr. and The Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS are presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com

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