Who knew there was so much talent and personality lining up for singing and dancing in the wilting Utah summertime?
Well, Plain, of course - over the past three weekends he's seen more than 110 singers and dancers hoping for just 22 parts in three separate casts. Saturday alone, he and choreographer Jenny Giauque-Tingey and production manager JD Dumas put more than 50 artists through their paces at the Lagoon Opera House and winnowed the call-backs to 41. The actors and dancers must wait until Valentine's Day to learn if they've made it.
"We wish we could work with all of you," Plain tells the young men and women. "But unfortunately, we can't."
The summer song-and-dance revues showcase Broadway and rock tunes and have a long tradition at the amusement park. Over the years the talent pool has grown more professional - after a very few run-throughs Saturday, a core group of hoofers look like they were already in rehearsal.
Some of the performers have a slick dance groove, some sing like angels, some have gigawatt stage presence. The very best have it all - and usually because they've been performing most of their lives.
JT Seumalu, for example: The lithe 24-year-old Southern Utah University graduate's splendor is like a tractor beacon even when he's crushed at the back of the chorus line.
He's already a veteran of Lagoon's theaters - in fact, Lagoon's actors inspired him long ago.
"I remember when I was young I came to Lagoon to see the rock shows," he says. "I just idolized them."
Amy Wilson is getting ready to graduate from Weber State University's musical theater program, but has been in shows most of her 23 years.
When she sings "Not For the Life of Me" from the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie," she's all-pro. And while she's far more compact than Tracy Turnblad, her audition with the group to "The Nicest Kids in Town" manifests the body-diversity message "Hairspray" is all about.
If chosen, Wilson will earn between $8 and $12 per hour for working up to nine shows per day, six days a week from May to September, plus a bonus if she completes the season. "It's just an opportunity," she says.
"It's fun and exciting."
