Las Vegas Academy graduates take part in theater festival
Two recent graduates of Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Visual and Performing Arts participated onstage and behind the scenes in the national premiere production “Thoroughly Modern Millie School Edition” at the 2007 International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., June 26.
Giovanni Bonaventura, 17, and Isaac Katzanek, 18, were part of a cast and crew of 47 students from 21 states in the production, which was presented by Music Theatre International and the Educational Theatre Association in front of educators, students and theatrical leaders at the festival.
“It was amazing. I had a great time,” Giovanni said.
Giovanni and Isaac, both members of Troupe 5273 of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for high school theater arts students, learned about the national production while attending Las Vegas Academy. Giovanni submitted an audition tape of himself performing a song and dancing, while Isaac submitted a portfolio of production shots of sets being built, the finished product and the product onstage during a production.
To prepare for the premiere, the cast and crew rehearsed during two separate weekends before beginning rehearsals in earnest for three weeks in June in Kenosha, Wis.
As a member of the chorus, Giovanni said the experience was stressful leading up to the premiere.
“Most of us had a nervous breakdown,” he joked.
The ensemble had long working hours during rehearsals, which began early in the morning and ended late at night.
“There was constant dancing, singing, running through the show and costume changes,” said Giovanni, who majored in theater at Las Vegas Academy.
For the national production, Isaac was part of a crew of 10 who worked backstage on everything from building sets and scenery, to working on lights and costumes.
“Stress for me comes from putting the show up,” said Isaac, who also had a small speaking part in the production when a male extra was needed, and dressed in costume and tapped to blend in while moving scenery during the show.
“I’m really proud that we put it up in about two and a half weeks,” Isaac said. “For that to be done so fast, it is a good sense of accomplishment.”
A theater major and tech theater major while at Las Vegas Academy, Isaac will major in scenic design at the University of Evansville in Indiana.
“I’ve grown to enjoy the technical side more,” said Isaac, who has worked behind the scenes in 11 of the 17 productions he has been involved with.
For his future plans, Isaac intends to go to graduate school after college, and is looking at the programs offered at Yale and New York University. He also has a dream job in mind.
“One pipe dream of mine is to work with Cirque (du Soleil),” said Isaac, who confessed to seeing production shows on the Strip and paying more attention to their technical elements.
“Not to say the show is boring, but my focus goes somewhere else. It’s fun for me,” Isaac added.
In the fall, Giovanni will attend the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Ohio where he will major in musical theater.
“Musical theater focuses on singing, dancing and acting to have the kids be the triple threat,” said Giovanni, who feels his strengths are dancing and singing.
“I need to work on the acting,” he said.
Giovanni, who admitted to missing the new friends he made at the festival, is looking forward to the day he will see them again.
“I know I’ll see them onstage someday,” he said. “Broadway is my dream. Hopefully, one day I’ll make it.”
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