For the first time ever, the Applause Children's Theater in Paso Robles is presenting an Advanced Performers' Production of "Newsies, Jr." directed by Vikky Mullin, founder of the Applause Children's Theater and Special Guest Director Casey Biggs.
Biggs is an actor and director who is known for his roles on Broadway.
According to IMDb, Biggs started his career by joining a glee club and chorus at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio. That led to his audition for the Juilliard School where he received
a BFA in 1977.
“Every time I come here, I just feel fantastic. I feel like I’m passing the torch," Biggs told KSBY at a recent rehearsal. "I’ve worked on Broadway in New York and all over the place, and this is as important as anything else I’ve ever done.”
Biggs has been working with the group for nine hours a week for three months, traveling from California to New York while working on his other productions.
“He’s having a great time when he’s here," Mullin said. "Last night, he told them they looked like a professional children’s theater, not an amateur theater, so he’s treated them like adults and professional actors and they’ve risen to the occasion."
Biggs' experience on Broadway and in Hollywood has allowed him to help Mullin put together an Advanced Performer's Production section in the Applause Children's Theater.
“Casey’s been great. I’ve been learning a lot of stuff from him," said Diego Porras who plays the character Jack Kelley in 'Newsies, Jr.' "I’ve been growing as an actor and as a person over the past 'three months, and I’m gonna use what I’ve learned from him in my future career.”
Opening night for "Newsies, Jr." is this Friday, November 10.
The Applause Children's Theater will also be hosting its annual holiday production of "Charlie Brown Christmas" the weekend after "Newsies, Jr."
For more information on both events visit applausechildrenstheater.com.
