By Jeanni Ritchie
River Oaks Square Arts Center added something new to its popular Summer Arts Studio program this year: a performing arts intensive culminating in a full-scale musical production.
And they pulled it off in just three weeks!
Summer Arts Studio Session 3B presented the Central Louisiana premiere of How to Train Your Dragon The Musical JR. at Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center in July. Based on the Academy Award-nominated DreamWorks Animation film, the musical follows young Viking Hiccup as he defies tradition and befriends Toothless, a dragon he is expected to fear.
I’ve always loved River Oaks’ summer camps, and combining one with children’s theatre made this new addition especially fun. The young performers had spent three weeks immersed in acting, music, movement, and stage production—and their hard work showed.
Hollis Chatman led the cast as Hiccup, and I sat mesmerized at how he memorized so much dialogue and learned so many musical numbers in less than a month!
Adeline Gauthier was a favorite as Astrid, and Christopher Hunter was dynamic as Toothless, Hiccup’s faithful dragon.
With musical numbers like “What a Viking Can Do,” “Finally Free,” “Just Another Girl,” and “Way Up High,” the fast-paced production kept the audience enthralled from beginning to end.
The cast also included Lavender Allen, Victoria Antezana, Lucy Bain, Amelia Beck, Flynn Cahill, Jamar Cornell, Gianna Hines, Lucia Hines, Cotton Hunter, LandryKate Kessler, Chloe Lair, Anabelle Lundy, Avery Lundy, Logan Lemoine, Emma McCartney, Carol Sawaked, Hannah-Beth Swift, and Charles Wright. The entire cast took the show from a workshop to a stunning performance.
The creative team included guest director Alex Scoloveno, artistic director Kody Walker, music director Jenevieve Bolen, production manager Patrick Hunter, and Summer Arts Studio camp director Aubrey Bolen.
One of my favorite parts of the evening happened in the seats behind me. Several young performers from across Cenla sat there, enthusiastically laughing and cheering throughout the show before jumping to their feet with thunderous applause at curtain call. Their support of friends and former castmates elevated the experience for everyone in the audience.
I hope this is the beginning of annual summer camp productions by River Oaks.
