Fairy-Tale Play, Real-Life Work -- Bellevue Youth Theatre Production `Brigadoon' Comes To Stage Tonight

BELLEVUE

Magic may bring a fairy-tale town to life, but behind the scenes Terry LaRussa Banton depends on hard work to stage "Brigadoon."

Banton directs the annual Bellevue Youth Theatre production that opens tonight at Bellevue Community College's Carlson Theatre.

Unlike the town of Brigadoon, which reappears every 100 years, the youth theater, assisted by an adult staff and parent volunteers, has reappeared annually since 1976. The annual musical draws an 80-plus member cast from elementary, middle and high schools.

"The students give 110 percent," said Banton, who helped found the theater group and has been its director since. "They're on stage as their character 100 percent - they're in their role 100 percent. Always."

Sammamish High School junior Katie Robinson knew "Brigadoon" was on the schedule and arranged to attend a bagpipe camp this summer. Among other songs, she concentrated on learning a Scottish funeral march for the play.

"Most kids have never heard a bagpipe, much less seen one up close," Banton said. "With Katie playing, the funeral scene is so moving they clap just for her as she leaves the stage."

Students devote their summer to the project. They audition in May and June, and begin rehearsing in July for the September production.

Although it sounds like a lot of work for five performances, the public show is just the encore.

This week they've been performing for Bellevue School District

classes. By the time the final bows are taken Sunday afternoon, the cast will have sung and danced for more than 3,000 people.

The school performances not only entertain but also inspire. It was a school performance that attracted Bellevue High School freshman Laura Smouse.

"We went to see `The Hobbit' when I was in second grade at Woodridge," Smouse said. "I really liked it and told my mother I wanted to try out for the play the next year."

This is her seventh year with the program.

Like the other students, Smouse must make up missed schoolwork.

"But it's worth being behind," she said. "The Bellevue Youth Theatre is the best experience I've ever had. I'd do this all year round if I could."

The youth theater receives no direct funding from the school district. It depends on tuition, ticket sales and grants.

It also depends on the kindness of professional theater people, who accept a small stipend to work with the students. This year there are 16 pros, including musicians, a makeup artist, lighting designer and master electrician.

"The lighting designer said she couldn't believe how far we could push the students, the kind of work we could get them to do," Banton said.

When she's not directing, Banton teaches drama, music and language arts at Odle Middle School. Her husband, Kent, is the theater's music director and conductor, and their daughter, Christina, is a regular part of the cast.

Like the Banton family, once they've participated, youths return again and again to the program.

Sammamish High School student Francis Crook, 16, who plays Charlie Dalrymple, has been involved for nine years.

Lauren Danz, also 16, attended Idyllwild School for the Arts in California this summer. She, too, has been with Bellevue Youth Theatre for nine years.

Megan Hilty, 16, decided after working four years with the Bellevue group to pursue further studies in theater. When she finishes her role as Meg Brockie, the town flirt, she will go back to classes at the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory.

Banton sighs over stories like that.

"I'm sad that the district doesn't have a performing-arts high and middle school," she said. "We've been talking about a year-round program for 21 years. We don't have a good theater in Bellevue. We could fill BCC 100 times over."

Sherry Grindeland's phone message number is 206-515-5633. Her e-mail address is: sgri-new@seatimes.com

----------- `Brigadoon' -----------

When: 7:30 p.m. today, tomorrow and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Where: Carlson Theatre, Bellevue Community College, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E.

Tickets: $8-$12.

Phone: 425-452-8704.

Web site: http://crick.com/brigadoon/index.html