Newton troupe breaks out extra shows for summer stock

Hoping local fans catch Web raves

The view will be reversed at the "Big Bugs" show's grand opening Saturday at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. (Mao Lin/New England Wild Flower Society)

On the Internet, Newton Summer Stage is a growing attraction. In the past 10 months, clips from their shows have drawn over 150,000 hits on YouTube.com. Meanwhile, hopeful young actors from as far away as Pennsylvania showed up this year for auditions as a result of the online buzz. But here at home, the theater is still struggling to explain to area theatergoers just what they do.

The problem is what the troupe's executive producer, David Bloom, calls "that high school show stigma." It's true, Newton Summer Stage is a youth theater program with casts generally ranging in age from 14 to 19.

"But what makes us different from a high school show is that we draw talent from all of the Boston area and now even out of state. It's just a bigger talent pool," said musical director Rachael Ziering.

Obsessively high production standards (and the budget to meet them), full orchestras, well-equipped theaters, and a behind-the-scenes staff of both experienced professionals and college students studying the craft also set them apart. So until you've seen the impressive sets and snazzy choreography, and until you've heard their often show-stopping vocals, you might not realize that, hey, these teens can really put on a show.

"This is some of the best amateur talent that you'll ever see, and to see it at that point of birth where they're really raw and emotional and connected and passionate is really something exceptional," said Bloom.

Need proof? Just click on then-15-year-old Ryan Vona's solo in "The Old Red Hills of Home" from last summer's production of "Parade" (go to YouTube.com and search for Vona), and prepare to catch your jaw as it drops.

Vona, heading into his junior year at Newton North High School, stars this summer in two Newton Summer Stage shows, as Henry Jekyll in its main-stage production, "Jekyll & Hyde," and Monty in the musical "Violet." It's a first for the eight-year-old ensemble, because until now Newton Summer Stage has only produced one full-scale musical per summer. But this year it is offering an Aaron Sorkin drama, "A Few Good Men," "The Spitfire Grill" and "Violet" as three "festival shows," with the first two being performed in rotation through Sunday.

If they seem to be unfamiliar choices, it's because they are.

"Sometimes, artistically, we've chosen material that may not be that advantageous for our ticket sales," said Bloom. "But for us it's more than just about seeing a cute show. We pick stories that are going to really inspire people. Take 'A Few Good Men.' It's a really important work, and it's very topical. It's a great piece that looks at the justice system and what it means to be ostracized or demonized by a controlling power, in this case, the military."

"You can only do 'Grease' so many times," adds Newton Summer Stage's public relations manager, Matt Kidd, who discovered the troupe via YouTube.

Even the big musicals are carefully vetted. Ziering fell in love with the music for "Jekyll & Hyde," but Bloom found the script shallow. So, in the end, the theater decided to produce a revised, more provocative version created by the Fullerton Civic Light Opera in California, and, to push the envelope a little, it also cast different actors in the roles of Jekyll & Hyde.

"The Fullerton version takes it out of that campy horror idea and makes it really more about the struggle of an individual and how he faces his demons," said Bloom. "And the head of the show fan club - yes, they have a fan club, they're called Jeckies - was so excited about the double casting that he's coming up from Pennsylvania to see it. He said it's a first as far as he knows."

But while the troupe is glad that a Jeckie is planning to attend from afar, it's hoping more theater fans closer to home will turn out as well.

"These are incredible kids who do remarkable work, and we feel so strongly that people need to see it," said Bloom.

The Newton Summer Stage is presenting "Jekyll & Hyde" July 30-Aug. 2 at Newton North High School, 360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville; its three festival shows are at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road, Newton Centre: "A Few Good Men," tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m.; "The Spitfire Grill," tonight, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m.; and "Violet," July 18-19. Tickets: $10-$16; subscription discounts. 617-559-6443, newtonsummerstage.com.

BIG BUGS SWARM GARDEN: When sculptor David Rogers builds a daddy longlegs spider out of found wood, "long" means about 17 feet. Giant bugs are the New York artist's specialty, and 13 of his monstrous masterpieces have descended on Framingham's Garden in the Woods.

They'll be lurking in the native gardens through October, and Saturday's grand opening, starting at 9 a.m., celebrates their arrival with live music by Beatles cover band Help! Also part of the festivities at the New England Wild Flower preserve will be youth-oriented activities and crafts, and a visit from costumed character Dotti the Ladybug.

But while it may be fun (and a little sobering) to stand nose-to-knee with an 18-foot, 1,200-pound praying mantis, this show is also about learning about insects. Ongoing activities include a build-a-bug station, an interactive online Big Bugs gallery, special outings such as the Insect Safari, and weekend visits by the Bugmobile, featuring hands-on activities using magnifying glasses, bug boxes, and insect nets. A new exhibition, "Pollinator Habitat," is running as well, and visitors can learn how to increase the native bee population with easy-to-construct habitats.

"Insects play a vital role in a garden, but are unnoticed, so I put them on such a large scale that you can't help but notice them," says Rogers.

"Big Bugs" grand opening is Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with exhibition continuing through Oct. 31 at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham. Events Saturday include: noon-3 p.m., Bugmobile visit; 1-3 p.m., Help! concert; 2 p.m., guided tour. Admission: $8; seniors, students $6; ages 3-18 $4. Garden hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Labor Day. Tours weekdays at 10 a.m., weekends at 2 p.m., included with admission. 508-877-7630, www.newfs.org.

SUMMER OFF BROADWAY: The stage will be hopping with big dance numbers, grand tunes, and at least one human-eating plant this summer in Bellingham.

Steps Off Broadway Productions is presenting three classic musicals this season, including "Little Shop of Horrors," which opens Saturday at 8 p.m., with additional shows Sunday at 2 p.m. and the following Friday and Saturday nights at 8.

Next up, the thrill and angst of being on Broadway takes center stage when "A Chorus Line" opens July 26. And starting Aug. 9 is a madcap musical comedy by Mel Brooks, "The Producers."

But don't miss the area's future stars in the annual youth Summer Theater Camp production. A troupe of 8- to 16-year-olds will perform the Mother Goose-inspired musical spectacular "Babes in Toyland" opening Aug. 22.

Summer season at Steps Off Broadway Performing Arts Center, 799 South Main St., Bellingham: "Little Shop of Horrors," Saturday and Sunday, and July 18, 19; "A Chorus Line," July 26-27, Aug. 1-2; "The Producers" Aug. 9-10, 15-16; "Babes in Toyland" Aug. 22-24. 508-876-9797, steps-dancing.com.

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