KWC Holiday Troupe Bringing Smiles to Nursing Homes

Our Kids Who Care troupe is one of Random Farms Kids' Theater's special programs! At this time of year, we have a special holiday troupe performing at six different nursing homes around Westchester.

                         

Last Friday, Cast B performed at the Wartburg Adult Community in Mount Vernon. Friday was a very sad day.

                                     

The kids who performed didn't necessarily know that, but all of the adults, including the older folks in the audience, were very aware of it and quietly discussed what they had seen on the news amongst themselves before we started the show.


                                    

I have no greater testament to the power of the Kids Who Care than this gentleman's smile.

                                     

His name is Ray. This is what he told me after the show: "I thought it was wonderful. I'm so glad they picked such nice, cheerful songs."

                                   

Julia White, seen front and center, made it in just the nick of time due to a traffic jam on the Hutch. The kids started to run from the back of the nursing home lounge to start the show. Julia- while running- tossed her coat on a table, grabbed a Santa hat from Julie while already singing- and didn't miss a note. It was most impressive!

                     

When I spoke to Pearlyn, the woman above on the left, she honestly wasn't sure how old she was. "In my eighties; I forget," she said. She told me this: "I loved it! The children have such great energy and such talent. I hope they keep it up."

                                 

The show lasted 20 minutes.

                   

The girls sang, "Let It Snow," "Jingle Bell Rock," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Deck the Halls," "My Dreidel," "Holly Jolly Christmas," "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland,""Silent Night," "Sleigh Ride," and "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Afterwards, they had ten minutes to meet and greet the residents.

                          

I have to say, this is the part that really made my heart swell with pride.

                          

Even though there were juice and cookies and friends to see, each one of our Kids Who Care took time to really reach out to the residents. 

                                          

They asked the residents which songs were their favorites, asked their names, shared information about themselves, and wished everyone a happy holiday. They were bright, articulate, polite and mature.

We got a nice writeup in the Mount Vernon Daily Voice here, and many local Patch sites recognized the children from their towns, including Larchmont, Bedford-Katonah, Scarsdale, Greenwich, Peekskill, Rye, Pleasantville, and White Plains.

To learn more about the Kids Who Care, click here. Please note, this is only one cast! We are just as proud of our Cast A! If you'd like to bring the Kids Who Care to a senior center, afterschool program, children's hospital, nursing home or veterans' organization, please email julie@randomfarms.com. See the full set of photos on Facebook! 

Happy Birthday, Audry!

Last Saturday, Audry (whom you may know as Cast F's Hansel from Hansel and Gretel) celebrated her 6th birthday at Random Farms' Kids Theater. She and her friends performed a scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with Audry in the starring role as Willy Wonka himself!

First, we played a fun game to learn all the children's names...

And then our director Natalie taught the birthday party guests a few lines, choreography and music from the scene where Veruca Salt gets determined to be a "bad nut" by special squirrels in the chocolate factory with a chorus of Oompa Loompas.

Audry made a wish and blew out her birthday candles on a special sweet treat.

Then it was time for the show! 

Great job, everybody!

To learn more about birthday parties at Random Farms, click here. You can also see what a Wizard of Oz theme might be like by clicking here and here.

A First-Time Jellybean's Secret to Preventing Stage Fright

We finished our fall Jellybeans training program for kindergarten through second-graders earlier this month with back-to-back performances of "Hansel and Gretel" at Yorktown Stage. While all of our casts did just wonderfully, we are especially proud of our youngest performers, the brand new Jellybeans. Because children become eligible to do shows when they enter kindergarten, the fall performances are when they grace the stage for the very first time. I sat down with Evelynn Beaton, 5, right before the curtain opened.

Evelynn, who was the Sand Fairy in Cast C, described her role for me before the show. "She sprinkles sand on the children when they're sleeping," she said. I asked if she had butterflies in her stomach, and she told me, "No, because my sister's with me." 

It turns out that the secret to combatting stage fright is to perform with your big sister! Evelynn told me about how she came to see her sister in "Snow White" last winter and "Anne of Green Gables" last spring.  "I thought she was a good singer," Evelynn said.  "Then Lillian said, 'Wanna try a show?' and I said, 'Yes.'"

Lillian was Cast C's owl, but, in her words: "I like the gingerbread costume because it's comfy." 

The Beaton sisters are the second and third gingerbread cookies from the right. 

I caught up with the girls and their father David after the show. The most fun part about performing for our first-time Jellybean Evelynn? "Staying with my sister."

For Lillian, it was this: "I liked at the end when all the gingerbread cookies come out of the oven as neighborhood children."

David shared with me why he and his wife decided to enroll their younger daughter in the program.

"At first Lillian was the only one in the family old enough to do the play," he said. "Her first show was 'Snow White.' She was excited, coming home and talking about the people she met and how fun it was to act. She began singing the songs around the house and teaching the songs to her sister. Then Evelynn, of course, was singing the Snow White songs, and we just thought, "Oh, my gosh, as soon as she's old enough, the first thing we want to do is get her into Random Farms. It's really, really cute, just a great program. We could not be happier with it." 

Sneak Peek from Our "Fashion" Shoot

Here is a behind the scenes look at Anya styling Bridget, one of our young stars modeling the all-new line of Random Farms apparel that we started offering this fall.

We shot lots of different fashion shots with Ben, Olivia, Mateo and Bridget in November, and we'll be pleased to show you them soon! Meanwhile, you can buy Random Farms t-shirts, sweatpants, bitty boxers, burnout hoodies, baseball caps, metal water bottles and canvas totes- all in time for the holidays!- at the Elmsford studio.

RFKT Q&A with Kathy Falcone of Downstage Video

So, I have a confession to make. As the Random Farms photographer, I frequently find myself with tears in my eyes as I photograph the kids in the theater. Sometimes it's the combination of the children's earnest voices singing a particularly touching song, but sometimes I get choked up just because the results of the kids' hard work are just so remarkable.

I know it might sound sappy, but here's the thing. I'm not alone in this. During performances, I sit in the center of the second to last row, all the way in the back of the Music Hall. I sit right in front of John and Kathy, the husband and wife team from Downstage Video who record all the shows.

During Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I could hear Kathy sniffling behind me as she wept during "Any Dream Will Do," the final number of the show. Not only that, she wept at every single performance! We sat down to have this conversation after Cast A's show.

How did you become a member of the Random Farms Kids' Theater team?

We first became involved with Random Farms in 2001, when my daughter Beth used to do the shows. Her agent told us about it. This was back when everything was run out of Anya's parents' basement. Beth is 17 now.

You were just saying that you see a lot of theater given all the various companies that Downstage Video works with. What makes Random Farms so different for you?

Because when the curtain opens, it's magical. Anya has the best scenery, the best costumes, the best talent, and it's just a magical experience. You just get a little overwhelmed, especially having had a child grow up in this theater.

You were saying that you cry at every single show.

Yes, every single show brings me to tears. Every single one gets me teary.

Tell me why it moves you.

The kids are up there. They look fantastic. They're singing their hearts out; it's magical. They're cheering for each other. You don't see that at every theater, but you see it at Random Farms.

I love that about Random Farms! I love how ALL the adults here- not just the directors but everyone involved- they're all rooting for the kids behind the camera, the sound board, the spotlights, whatever. We all want the kids to succeed. 

Me, too. I know John and I do.

Thanks, Kathy!

Thanks for Giving! (and Happy Thanksgiving!)

When I was walking out of the Tarrytown Music Hall after Cast E's performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat the other day, I snapped this picture with our coat donation bin full to the brim! Thank you so much for your generosity!

Our acting coach and director Julie Schwartz is organizing Random Farms' winter coat drive to contribute to New York Cares' Annual Coat Drive.  In a normal year, 90% of homeless adults need a new, warm coat each winter because they have no place to keep one over the summer months. But this year, it's not just homeless people who need our help; thousands of New Yorkers have been displaced and left out in the cold or in shelters as a result of the storm, creating unprecedented demand for warm coats.

Coats of all sizes are needed, including baby, child, and adult.  Although the bin pictured above was at the musical hall (and will be there again on 11/26 for the final performance of "Joseph"), we have a bin set up on the counter at the RFKT studio for donations during rehearsal hours, showcase auditions and Headshot Day. It will also be at Yorktown Stage during Jellybeans performances of "Hansel and Gretel." 

If you are not currently involved in a production, you can also e-mail julie@randomfarms.com to find out when the studio will be open to accept your donation.  We will be collecting coats through Thursday, December 20th. If you spot a great deal at a Back Friday sale or unearth last year's outgrown coats among the holiday decorations, please bring them in.

If you'd like more information on the New York Cares Coat Drive, please visit the New York Cares website at http://newyorkcares.org/volunteer/holiday_volunteering/coat_drive/index.php.

Thank you to all who have already donated! We appreciate your support all throughout the year, and we're so grateful you're a part of the Random Farms Kids Theater family. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Happy birthday, Bridget!

Recently, we were happy to host a 10th birthday party for Bridget, one of our summer workshop intensive campers who spent a week with us in July doing High School Musical and a week in August doing Beauty and the Beast. 

Having a celebration at Random Farms is a unique birthday party experience. We offer three different packages, depending the birthday boy or girl's age. Since Bridget was turning 10, she and her eleven of her friends got to spend two hours in our Elmsford studio with director Alexis Grausz and assistant director Alice Smyth.

The girls had party food, and of course, we all sang "Happy Birthday" before Bridget blew out her candles. However, she also got to star as Dorothy in a musical number from the Wizard of Oz with all her friends.

In less than an hour, the girls learned lines, choreography and music (even solos!) which they performed in costume for their parents and siblings at the end of the party. "My favorite part was doing the performance at the end," Bridget said. "Since I already did "High School Musical" and "Beauty and the Beast," I wanted to do something different, so I picked "The Wizard of Oz.'"

Bridget played Dorothy for the musical number, "Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead." The birthday girl (or boy) gets to be in full costume, and Bridget rocked it down to her sparkly pink Converse sneakers for her own take on the ruby slippers. "I was glad to be the lead role, because in the other plays, I was part of a group," she said.

"I love the staff here," her mother Kerry said. "Having the party here was convenient, but I also knew it would be a high quality birthday party. Everyone had a good time. I tell everyone about the programs at Random Farms. Bridget knew no one when she first came here, and she just felt so good about herself." 

And that makes us feel good! We look forward to having Bridget on stage with us again in March for the Workshop production of "Tom Sawyer."  

Check out a short highlights video from Bridget's party below. 

If you want to inquire about having your child's birthday party at Random Farms, email Natalie Gray at natalie@randomfarms.com for more information. Learn more (including which themes you can choose from) by clicking here, and be sure to check out how you can get home-made cookies and cupcakes made to match your party theme from Random Farms mom Lee Ann Mistretta by clicking here.

Reminder: Kids Who Care Holiday Troupe Auditions

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially with the snow we had yesterday! This means we're holding auditions for the Kids Who Care Holiday troupe tomorrow. (This was rescheduled as a result of the big storm, so don't forget about our new date and time: November 10th from 4-7:30 p.m. at the Elmsford studio.)

We'll be taking a show on the road to nursing homes, hospitals and community centers within an hour of Central Westchester in December. Auditions are open to 2nd-8th graders who want to make a difference in their communities. See you there!

RFKT Staff Q&A with Alexis Grausz

Here on our blog we'll be posting special Q&A's with the adults behind the scenes who strive to make our students' experience at Random Farms rewarding, educational and fun! First up, director Alexis Grausz.

Q: Tell me how long you've been with Random Farms.

I started five years ago. I went to NYU for college, and when I graduated I was an actor for about five years. I started working at Random Farms as a supplement so I didn't have to waitress quite as much. Then I started loving it and realizing that I actually love teaching a lot more than I love acting, so I ended up doing this full-time. Now I spend my life here.

Q: I know you always say in the pre-show speech that your favorite thing is how supportive everything is, but tell me in your own words what you like best about doing the programs at Random Farms.

I think it depends on which program. For the workshop program, I think my favorite part is watching a child who barely wants to speak up on day one stand on a stage and sing a solo by herself or himself on day 10 or whatever, and just see the progress that some of these kids make. For the Edge program, I really like being able to be creative and create choreography and ensembles and have a really talented group of teenagers to work with.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about Legally Blonde?

Getting through it! I am thrilled about the music, because they sound amazing. Charlotte is making them sound amazing. The choreography is starting to look really good. It's a big show, so I'm feeling months of exhaustion coming on, but I think it's going to be worth it because we have some really talented kids. They're going to be pretty fabulous.

Q: Tell me about a role or experience you really liked doing in your own past as a performer.

I think one of the favorite shows I ever did was a musical called "Sarah, Plain and Tall" based on the book. Actually Larry O'Keefe who wrote Legally Blonde wrote the music. I was on tour with it for about six months. It was like a beautiful fairy tale story, and I was performing for kids. It was a pretty incredible experience.

What's one thing you would want someone whose considering signing their child up for a Random Farm program but hasn't made the leap yet to know?

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn't benefit from this program. It doesn't matter what level you're at or how much experience you have. I feel like we have something for children at each level and each age group. Whether it's just learning to speak up or, you know, a pathway to Broadway, at every level we have something great to offer, and I see kids grow every time they leave here.

Stay safe, everyone!

Just wanted to reach out to our Random Farms family and hoping your lives are returning to normal in the aftermath of the storm. Our Elmsford studio has power, and we're looking forward to hosting a birthday party and a full lineup of activities there tomorrow. Take care, everyone, and please stay safe.

Behind the Scenes: Headshot Day

This weekend Random Farms' dance studio was transformed into a photo studio for another Headshot Day with Yolanda Perez. Yolanda is one of New York City's top headshot photographers, and many of Manhattan's best agents recommend her for headshots.  

"A lot of the kids that come here were clients I photographed in my studio," Yolanda said. Our producer Anya Wallach reached out to her approximately three years ago, and the idea for Headshot Day was born. A session with Yolanda usually costs $700. However, Random Farms' families can schedule 20-minute mini-sessions during one of our designated Headshot Days for just $140.

"It's a good opportunity," Yolanda added. "Kids are constantly changing, and it's important to have an updated headshot. You never know who's watching in the audience. Maybe it's a manager, a producer, or an agent."

Subjects spend the first part of their session in hair and makeup, although it's very important that subjects look as natural as possible and to stay away from pinks, greens and purples in makeup. Subjects have to provide their own clothing, but you can find a list of tips and suggestions from Random Farms here.

Evelyn Carr, below, participated in her first-ever Headshot Day this past Saturday. "I tried taking them at home myself, and they didn't turn out very good," said her mother Noelle. "This was perfect because it was right here. She just loves performing and going on auditions. She hasn't done anything professional yet. She just got her first-ever professional callback." We're very excited to have Evelyn perform with us in Tom Sawyer in our upcoming Winter Workshop!

Evelyn and her mother Noelle get a sneak peek at the results with Yolanda and her assistant Martin. Martin is also the go-to guy for retouching and post-production. "Retouching by Martin" is a division of  Yolanda Perez Photography LLC, and they offer everything from teeth-whitening and stray hair removal to background changes and clothing color change for an additional fee. You can see before and after samples, as well as get pricing and contact info here.

If you missed out on Headshot Day this weekend, we have another one scheduled for Sunday, November 18th. Click here to register!

Thank you, Yolanda and Martin, for your hard work and amazing talent!

Tom Sawyer Signups Are Underway!

Registration for Tom Sawyer, our Winter Workshop and Jellybeans production, is well underway. In the past week since registration began, several casts have already filled up! Casts A through D for Workshops, our program for third through eighth-graders, are wait list only or nearly full with only a handful of spots open. We still have room in Casts E, F, and G, however.

Meanwhile, only Casts C and E still have multiple openings for our Jellybeans, which is our program for kindergarten through second-graders. B and D have one or two openings, and A and F are wait list only. We want all the children who wish to participate to have a chance to learn and grow with us!

Tom Sawyer is a special show that was commissioned especially for the Random Farms Kids Theater.  The book is by Kristin Madden, with music by Brennan Johnson and lyrics by Brian Blythe. This same dynamic trio also brought our recent production of "Anne of Green Gables" to life. Now, they turn their remarkable talents toward bringing Mark Twain's beloved characters Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher to the stage. 

We're particularly excited to see our talented young stars perform favorite scenes from the classic novel, including whitewashing the fence, having pirate adventures, incurring Aunt Polly's wrath and falling in love. Just look how cute the costumes will be!

Click here to register for workshops and here for Jellybeans!

Costume Inspiration: How'd you do that Who hair?

With Halloween right around the corner, costume shops like Spirit of Halloween popping up everywhere you look and lines out the door at Party City, it seems like a good time to show off some pictures of one of our our most impressive stage makeup and costuming efforts of our season.

If you didn't get to see one of our four Mainstage casts of "Seussical! The Musical," you missed seeing how we translated Dr. Seuss's beloved characters, with their signature look often appearing as elongated foreheads in illustration, into hair and makeup. This was especially true for the Whos of Whooville and the Sour Kangaroo (and her baby.)

Do you want to know the secret? Empty water bottles and pipe cleaners! Here are some photos taken both backstage and during the show for inspiration...

Special thanks to our amazing costumer Terri Canziani, seen here with her talented daughters Jamsine, Rebecca and Samantha, all of whom performed with Cast D.