A Touch of Broadway in Suwanee

The amphitheater stage at Suwanee Town Center Park was booming with activity Wednesday night. The cast, crew and volunteers of Suwanee Academy of the Arts’ Broadway in the Park were checking microphones, building sets and fine tuning details for “Hairspray” and “Rapunzel’s Twist.”

A group of artists from the community will be catapulted to local stardom on Friday and Saturday nights (7 p.m.) as Broadway in the Park hits the stage for its fifth year. These talented actors have been working tirelessly to bring another magnificent performance to Town Center. Admission is free.

The shows also will have a dress rehearsal Thursday as part of the monthly Toast @ Town Center, which runs 6-10 p.m.

Both shows are set in the ‘60’s and poignantly deliver the message of acceptance for who you are inside, not what you look like on the outside, and it is a tremendous message for our time.

“Rapunzel’s Twist” features a cast of 24 ranging in age from 10-14. “Hairspray” is made up of 35 talented high school and college students, with a couple of cast members who refuse to reveal their age.

Rehearsals began approximately three weeks ago, and performers have logged in over 170 hours of rehearsal time between the two shows since then.

Teresa Khan, director of the original “Rapunzel’s Twist,” noted that her cast lost their rehearsal on Tuesday due to the set being moved out of the studio, and Wednesday’s rehearsal was for sound cues only. "... So these young performing artists have done an amazing job with getting the show to this point,” said Khan. “I always say to the CAST … Onwards and Upwards! It is a journey and we go as a family of performers to the next level, until we are truly enjoying what we do on stage.”

Patty Etherton, co-founder of Suwanee Academy of the Arts and director of “Hairspray,” pointed out that all of the actors work equally as hard on the show because “there are no small roles” and “all the characters are important to the story.”

Khan said, “I really feel strongly about teaching kids the importance of not distinguishing who has the bigger role, but that all of the roles are equally important. While we do have leads, each of these young artists has put in equal amounts of time getting ready for this show.”

Khan added that “The two main characters in the story are both female roles. Bee, the owner of the salon, is played by Abby Hamilton and the owner of her own salon, Rapunzel’s Hide-a-way. Abby Woolard is her adopted daughter, Rapunzel.” Both Hamilton and Woolard are in middle school.

As far as preparation and what goes into a production of this magnitude, Etherton said that it takes countless volunteers to build sets, sew costumes, solicit sponsors, move sets, provide stage security, secure props, etc.

“We could not have come this far is such a short time with this show without the support and talent of our very dedicated parents who went out of their way … going way beyond the call of duty to support SAA and the cast and crew,” said Khan.

“… Lots of prayers and total commitment. It’s not about the paycheck ... it’s about the kids, and I love each and every one of them and I am extremely proud of them.”

Etherton and Khan agree that there are many challenges to an undertaking like this one, but they are easily outweighed by the rewards. Said Etherton, “The most rewarding is seeing the cast come together, friendships develop and watching the individual growth. They will never forget this time of their lives.”

Added Khan, “Most rewarding is working with the children. I love to watch them grow and blossom in their role. Behind the scenes there is a lot of bonding with the cast, and we became a family unit taking care of each other on and off stage, covering for someone when they drop a line or doing make-up or hair for a fellow actor. I am always truly surprised at how fast the kids at this age bond with each other ... it makes me miss my youth!”

There is no doubt that all the preparations for this year’s Broadway in the Park have been filled with lots of hard work, fun and excitement. Said Etherton, “The enthusiasm that these two casts are bringing to the stage is spectacular. You won’t want to miss this. Tease your hair and twist and shout along with us!”