Growing Stage adaptation of the Nutcracker adds magic to the holiday season

NETCONG — The Nutcracker's magical world of dancing dolls, mischievous mice, and sparkling snowflakes will come to life as local actors perform at the Growing Stage from Nov. 21 to Dec. 21.

Local actors
Netcong Elementary School sixth grader, Sarah Stephens, has always loved singing, dancing and performing and was very involved in competition cheer leading. She started acting last year, and this is the first performance in which she will have lines.

She will be playing a flower, a snowflake, Oscar's daughter, Louisa and a Candy Striper in the performance.

"The biggest challenge is learning the ballet dances," Sarah said. "I have never done ballet and at the audition my mom told me to just smile and do pretty fingers. I guess it worked because I got a part. It also was hard in the beginning to memorize the different lines."

Rehearsals are several nights a week and Saturdays and last between two and four hours. As the show approaches, they will be every night.

"I love going to rehearsals," Sarah said, and of The Growing Stage, "I really like everyone here. They are so nice and I learn a lot from the older actors. Even if I’m not in a show, my family and I volunteer for other performances. The theater is so pretty and I am very proud to be part of the Growing Stage. The show is coming together very well. It's very funny, particularly the battle scenes. We laugh a lot but know we have a lot of work to do."

Braeden Boyle is 16 and hails from Byram Township. She's been performing since he was nine and participated in Young Performers Workshop at Centenary College. Since then, she's continued to perform in roles such as Blousey Brown in Bugsy Malone, Portia in Cinderella, and Pepper in Annie as well as in other local productions. In the Nutcracker, she is cast as the role of Sergeant Cashew.

"The most difficult aspect of this role is remembering the character must remain 'toy like' through movements. It can be hard to run and dance well while maintaining a toy soldier-like stance."

Her first performance at The Growing Stage was in Babes in Toyland, and the second was in The Jungle Book.

"The Growing Stage has always been one of my favorite theaters where the cast truly becomes a family," said Braeden. "Each production has been just as entertaining to perform in as I'm sure the audience finds the show to watch, and The Nutcracker has been no exception to this. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to watch this show come to life through each rehearsal and learn from my fellow cast members."

Fifteen-year-old Dalton Allison has been acting since 2009 and said thus far, the highlight of his career was playing Wiley and The Hairy Man. He'll be playing a servant and Mouse #2 in The Nutcracker.

"The biggest challenge of this role is being able to properly play a not so proper rodent," said Dalton.

Grace Brizek is also 15, and her hometown is Sparta. She started acting five years ago, and few of her personal favorite performances were Seussical the Musical, in which she played the Young Kangaroo, and Fiddler on the Roof, in which she was Hodel.

Brizek will be playing one of the villainous mice, named Cheez-o-Valians.

"I absolutely love this theater, it's where I met some of my good friends and it's also valuable as an actor to work with the other performers here, professional and community players alike," Grace said. "I think the production is coming along nicely and is going to be brilliant by opening night."

Vanessa Adams started acting when she was 10 years old in a school play, but she was 12 when she debuted on stage at The Growing Stage.

She's now 13, and the Green Township Resident said, "The highlight of my acting career so far has been playing an elf in Rudolph because it gave me a chance to dance, sing and act."

Adams will be playing Cosima, Lily and a snowflake in the Nutcracker, and most of her roles are focused on dancing.

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Fralley lives in Netcong and started performing at The Growing Stage in the winter of 2007 when he auditioned for Babes in Toyland.

"I was so nervous I actually ran out of the theater," he said, "But they were so generous to have me come back and audition again with the equity performers. I got in and played a pig and a sheep."

He will be playing one of the Mice Henchmen and a butler in The Nutcracker and said the roles call for a lot of physical movement.

"There are a few times that I am just laying on the ground. And others that I am running through the audience and all over the stage," said Matthew. "Another challenging factor is becoming the background of the scene. Reacting off of all of the other characters and their lines can be difficult especially if you are in the same spot for a long time. You have to find thing to react off of."

He deemed The Growing Stage "amazing," and added, "Whether it's coming to see a show or be in one. I have basically learned all I know from The Growing Stage. I am also the company intern there so I am also learning from the production side of it as well."