KEENE VALLEY — The Book & Blanket Players’ summer season glides into the 1900s with performances of “Meet Me in St. Louis” at Keene Central School.
The full-length musical’s plot is familiar, but there are additional songs, including “A Touch of the Irish,” “The Banjo” and “Whenever I’m with You,” in addition to familiar ones such as “The Trolley Song,” “The Boy Next Door,” “Skip to My Lou” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Sponsored by East Branch Friends of the Arts, The Book & Blanket Players have produced youth musicals-in-a-week summer theatre for 15 years in Keene Valley.
“It’s bit of a roller-coaster ride,” Kathleen Recchia, co-director with Annie Scavo, said. “We have the system kind of down. We know where we have to be by Wednesday afternoon, and somehow we kind of get there.”
The Book & Blanket production team includes vocal coach-master class teacher Alisa Endsley, known in the Broadway community. As a leading actress, Endsley has worked with some of the biggest names on Broadway including composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Trevor Nunn, Tony-winning actors Patti Lupone, George Hearn and Betty Buckley, according to a press release.
She has also been featured on many national tours and leading roles in London’s West End.
Other members of the creative team are choreographer Maddy Runyon, Lia Loomis, Kim Peralta, Players veterans actor Cooper Halloran and Olivia Marocco. This year, musical accompanists and directors are Grace Martin and Kathy Wiegand, who will split the week’s music responsibilities.
Rehearsals begin Sunday.
“It’s a movie musical that I’ve always liked. I actually think the only staged production I ever saw of it was years ago when Chazy did it,” Recchia said. “It’s been a favorite, and I have a couple of girls who have been with us for a long time who were very interested in doing it. So that helped persuade me and our vocal coach, Alisa Endsley, it’s a favorite of hers, so it just seemed like the right time to do something that’s kind of a fun, happy, family musical. The biggest trauma is they might have to move to New York. We thought it’s a feel-good family musical, and it was time to do it.”
The production’s cast of 25 range in age from 8 to 17.
“We haven’t turned people away,” Recchia said. “It’s kind of self-selective in that it’s a lot. It’s a long day. It’s 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Parents usually ask what does the day involve? If they don’t think their child is ready, they don’t enroll them. We’ve been able to accommodate everyone who has wanted to be in it so far over all the years that we’ve done this.”
A script read-through, not mandatory, was held in the library at Keene Central School.
“We were missing quite a few because there were some kids who were at certain camps or involved with ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ at Westport, the Depot Academy show,” Recchia said. “That happened the weekend we had our read-through, so we only had maybe 15 at most at the read through. That’s the only time we actually get to read it in order before running the show. Once we start rehearsal, we do everything in pieces because we’re doing it in such a short amount of time. There’s always going to be one group like in the music room. One group in the movement room. One group will be running lines, and one group is being blocked on stage. We don’t start putting it together until Wednesday afternoon, and then we’ll start running it in show order.”
The read-through went well for a cold read.
“It’s when they first saw the script,” Recchia said. “On that day is when they will then leave with their script. Their instructions are: please memorize as much as you can. A few of them will come with it memorized, but they won’t all. I gave them links to YouTube to other versions of the show. They could listen to songs. If they wanted extra help, they were supposed to reach out to us. Some of them absolutely take voice with our vocal coach, so I know that she has worked on a couple of songs with a couple of the students.”
With a week-long learning curve, everything is super condensed.
“I’ve had people ask can I come to dress rehearsal?” Recchia said. “Dress rehearsal is Friday afternoon, and it’s the first time the kids are wearing mics. The first time our sound guy is even there, and the first time that the lights are going to be used. It’s not like a dress rehearsal when you go to something that’s been rehearsing for two months. Everything happens faster. Even though that dress rehearsal is going to seem pretty raw, by the next day it usually comes together without incident.”
Costumes are sourced from a little bit of everything.
“We reach out to parents,” Recchia said. “Because we’re at Keene Central School, we have access to whatever is in the costume room there. We do a lot of thrift-store shopping. We have some talented seamstresses, who will alter what we’ve gotten at the thrift store and make it work for the right period. I especially like Thrifty & Nifty in Tupper Lake. I happened to hit it on Bag Sale Day this year, so that really helped a lot. For $3, you stuff a big paper bag with any clothing.”
Running time is about two hours, and the show is free. Donations will be accepted at the door. “Meet Me in St. Louis” will be staged at 6 p.m. July 12 and 3 p.m. July 13.
If You Go WHAT: “Meet Me in St. Louis” WHEN: 6 p.m. July 12 and 3 p.m. July 13. WHERE: Keene Central School, 33 Market St., Keene Valley