Tap Dogs will make a return to The Buell Theatre in September. Currently Colorado native, Donovan Helma, is performing with Tap Dogs in London. We caught up with Donovan for a quick interview.

Donovan began dancing at three under the direction of his mother’s dance studio, Miller’s Dance Studio, in Denver which was established by his grandfather Ernest L. Miller established in 1957.  He currently continues his education in New York City. Aside from TAP DOGS, Donovan recently did corporate performances for General Motors, Charles Schwab and a Monday Night Football halftime performance with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Donovan performed for Montreal’s Danse Encore International Festival in a production with the group Tap’d Out. In 2009 and 2010, he toured with the new Gregory Hines tribute show, Thank You Gregory, starring Jason Samuels Smith and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards. Since 2004, he has performed on numerous tours and industrials with the international cast of TAP DOGS, including North America, Europe and South Africa. When he isn’t performing he is teaching at studios and national conventions across the USA.

Denver Center: What would you say about training in Colorado and how you become a Tap Dog?

Donovan: The training I received at Miller’s is some the best in Colorado.  Some of the most successful working dancers have trained at Miller’s.  I studied more years of ballet then I have tap but that gave me the foundation to take any path I wanted in dance.  Luckily Miller’s has one of the strongest and most comprehensive tap programs in the state which certainly gave me the opportunity to be in Tap Dogs.   

DC: What makes Tap Dogs so exciting and why should audiences see it?

D: Tap Dogs is basically a rock and roll tap dance show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. People love this show for its pure entertaining aspect.  Tap Dogs has a continuously changing ingenious set and every scene if deferent from the last.  I first saw the show when I was 12 years old in Denver and it completely blew me away and inspired me to be where I am now.    

DC: What’s a typical day in the life of a Tap Dog?

D: A touring schedule is much different from a “sit down” schedule.  I’m currently a part of the West End cast in London and everyday brings new ups and downs.  It’s a hard life to get used to being that there isn’t a consistent schedule.  Some days we have press on TV at 5 am and then have to do two shows later that night. But the next day could be completely free until the call time for the show.

DC: What do London audiences think of Tap Dogs?

D: The West End show is a big hit!  I’m so grateful to be a part of the London revival of the show.  Not very many people knew about it before we came but word of mouth has had us sold out for quite some time.  London is a hard town to entertain but we are certainly doing that.

DC: When you close in London, what’s next?

D: London closes Sept 5th and then I’m headed to Denver to see the family.  I’ll be back and forth from Denver and New York teaching and enjoying time off.  After Christmas I’m headed to Sydney to perform with Tap Dogs for a 6 week sit down…can’t wait!  

Thanks Donovan!

The international sensation – Tap Dogs - is back and ready to leave dents on stages all across North America. Created by Olivier Award-winning choreographer Dein Perry, with a construction site set by designer/director Nigel Triffitt, and a driving score by composer Andrew Wilkie, Tap Dogs is a rough, tough, rocking theatrical entertainment. Winner of 11 International Awards, Tap Dogs premiered at the Sydney Theatre Festival, moved on to London and New York, and has been a howling success all across North America, Europe, Asia, America, and Australia.

Tap Dogs plays the Buell Theatre Sep 22-Sep 26. Tickets start at $20.

This video is from the West End production.  Donavan is in the white t-shirt second from the right.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Originally from Mililani, Hawaii, Colorado State,  University grad Christina Black has joined up with the national touring production of In The Heights, bound for Denver.  This innovative new musical that has met with endless critical and audience acclaim on Broadway and across the country, presents a unique opportunity for a modern dance pro like Black.  We caught up with Christina while she was in Boston recently, before the cast continued on to a stint in Florida.

Chrstine Black, Sandy Alvarez and company (In the Heights)

Tell us a bit about your dance and theatre training.

I found dance at the age of 12 and after that I couldn’t stop. I trained with 24-VII Danceforce under Marcelo Pacleb for about 5 years. I learned everything from ballet to contemporary to hip-hop. I continued my training in contemporary with The Schiff Dance Collective in Boulder, CO and I also joined a hip-hop company, True II Form (Kevin O’Keefe, Boulder, CO), which taught me the fundamentals of breaking, popping and locking.  Upon my arrival to New York I soaked up as much as I could. I took classes at Steps on Broadway, DNA, Peridance, Studio MMAC and I joined the Broadway Dance Center work-study program to earn discounted classes. I was taught to go to every audition and every class possible; you never know who will be there and it may open up opportunities for other jobs. I embraced that idea and was invited to join dre.dance (New York based contemporary company) after I took a class from the artistic director, Andrew Palermo.

I have no formal theatre training, but I took acting classes from Deborah Carlson (Word of Mouth Studios) where I learned the basics of acting. I loved her classes because they were small and personalized. Prior to the In The Heights final audition, I began taking voice lessons to prepare myself. Depending on which direction you want to take your career, being a versatile dancer is important, but being a versatile performer is equal if not more valuable.

How did you get cast in In The Heights?

The first time I auditioned was October 2008.  I have to admit that the only thing I knew about In The Heights was that it won 8 Tony Awards…I recommend doing a bit more homework before auditions. After learning the first piece of choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (which was to the number “Benny’s Dispatch”), I knew that I wanted to be in this show. I went home and prepared myself for the callbacks. I looked at the website, found video clips on YouTube and desperately tried to prepare a song.

Unfortunately, I didn’t book anything from that open call, nor the next one in January 2009.  However, I made an impression on Andy, because he contacted me directly to do prep work for another project he was working on. Two months later my agent called me for a closed two-day In The Heights audition in May 2009. That audition ended up being one of the most intense auditions I’ve been on. The first day we learned all the big ensemble numbers of the show and danced full out from 10am to 6pm.

The second day we learned even more choreography, sang and read sides [scenes from the show]. I was so fried from the audition process that I could barely concentrate on prep work with Andy later that afternoon. Little did I know that he was hiding the big news from me…my agent called me that evening to tell me I booked the job!

What makes In The Heights so special and why people should see it?

In The Heights is a story about love, loss, hope, community, pride and most importantly, family. There is at least one situation or character that mirrors something or someone in your life. Audiences easily identify with the show because the lead character, Usnavi, who was raised by his grandmother, is your best friend. Nina, the girl who finally broke the mold and went off to college is your sister. And Daniela, the salon shop owner who loves to gossip, is your Aunt. Not only are the heartfelt music, the seamless choreography, and the intertwined storylines of the neighborhood amazing, but you can’t see this show without having the urge to dance and sing and call your mother all at the same time.

How would you describe the style of choreography in In The Heights?  Did your hip hop background prepare you for Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography?

The show is infused with hip-hop, salsa, a bit of contemporary, plus a tap step thrown into the mix. The great thing about Andy is that he himself has a versatile background in dance and theatre so his choreography embodies all of it. He is very specific about what he wants and he can give you a detailed story to embrace the feeling behind the movement. My dance background prepared me for Andy’s choreography, as well as helping me understand body placement and the meaning of the moment.

How is life on the road?

Life on the road is what the cast likes to call “not real life.” Moving from city to city – especially if we’re there only a week – makes it extremely difficult to get settled. I absolutely have to unpack the first day because I want to feel like I’m living out of my room not my suitcase. On the complete flip side, traveling can be absolutely amazing. We’re currently in Boston and although it’s cold, it’s gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to visit Chicago and Boston and now I’m getting paid to do so! I’m drawn to the bigger cities, cities that have a history to them and also cities with unique architecture. Also, some of my extended family members who have never seen me dance before will get a chance to see the show because I’m coming to their hometown, and that’s something that is priceless in itself.

What is your average schedule in a given week?

My schedule is not nearly as bad as those who are understudies; actually it’s pretty great. It’s a normal Broadway schedule (one show a day Tuesday-Friday and two shows on Saturday and Sunday), but it gives me the chance to explore every city during the day. It’s cold now but once we get to Florida, you will find me on the beach every single day!

Popularity: 8% [?]

By Suzanne Blandon, Publicist for the National Theatre Conservatory

Scott McLean as Tartuffe and Rebecca Martin as Elmire (Photo by Eric Laurits)

Generally, as a publicist, my job is to get other people in the spotlight. But sometimes they are just a little busy. Case in point — our National Theatre Conservatory Class of 2010. So, I thought I’d take a moment to share why they are so great as well as why you should see them on stage.

Our National Theatre Conservatory is a three-year graduate acting program here at The Denver Center. Each class performs alongside our professional Denver Center Theatre Company. You likely have seen some of this year’s graduating class in productions including The Voysey Inheritance, A Raisin in the Sun, Well, A Christmas Carol, Eventide and When Tang Met Laika.

Their “final exam,” if you will, is a public performance of not one but TWO plays performed in repertory. And, when rehearsals started up for these two plays, they were actually performing in two more plays — Eventide and When Tang Met Laika. And did I mention that they still have a class or two going on at the same time?

So, they basically knew four plays — that’s roughly 80,000 words of text — and rehearsed and/or performed a minimum of 10 hours a day six days a week. I’m tired just thinking about it!

But here’s the payoff. The first of their two public performances — Hamlet — is sold out. The second performance is Tartuffe. Sure there are still tickets available, but for how long? Hard to say.

They perform both plays back to back in the intimate Conservatory Theatre (just 185 seats) through April 24, which also is GRADUATION! So what’s next for these MFA students? Well, they rehearse a “Showcase” performance that they take to the Big Apple and perform in front of agents, directors, casting directors, alumni, etc. Then they are off — living large, enjoying life, landing that dream job.

My hint? Grab a ticket to Tartuffe so you can say “I knew them when…”

Popularity: 5% [?]

It’s Merle Haggard’s 73^rd Birthday AND the first Tuesday of April, which means it’s time for a new episode of “10 Minutes to Curtain”!

This month, go behind-the-scenes with playwright Karen Zacarías to learn about the “re-premiere” of Mariela in the Desert, learn from actor John Hutton about the challenges of playing Iago in Othello, find out what everyone backstage at Mama Hated Diesels is talking about, and get a preview of the Theatre Company’s 2010-2011 Season with Artistic Director Kent Thompson.

Popularity: 11% [?]

By Joseph Yeargain, 3rd year National Theatre Conservatory student

Tartuffe (cast)

Well, it’s my birthday and I’m heading into Showcase class at 10am; heading to the gym from 10:30-Noon; from Noon to 4pm, I’m in dress rehearsal for Tartuffe; from 4pm to about 5pm, we’re changing sets from Tartuffe to Hamlet; and from 6:30pm to 10:30pm we’ll be rehearsing Hamlet.

Not that I’m complaining. I most certainly am not. I recall the first time I came to Denver for callback weekend, watching the first off-book rehearsal of Elephant Man and saying to myself I want to be doing this in three years. (Luckily, I was accepted to this top-five program, and my dream is now a reality.) 

This has been a great, fulfilling rehearsal process for me, being able to work with such visionary directors and being able to work with the extraordinary ensemble that is the NTC Class of 2010 one final time. With each pass, a new layer is added to each of the shows, and the news that they are close to being sold-out (i.e. get your tickets NOW, if you haven’t purchased them already) is a testament to the thorough direction we’re receiving and the thorough teaching that the NTC has given us over the past three years. And I cannot wait to share our work with all of you!

It’s been rough-going since we received notice that the NTC will close its doors after the Class of 2012 completes its training. After much deliberation, I still cannot see the logic in closing a top-five graduate acting program. To be honest, I think that with the team that’s assembled here, in short time, we would be at least in the top three.

I was watching Etoiles, a documentary on the Parisian Ballet Company, and one of the dancers was asked why hisw company was the most renowned in the world. He responded that it was because of the school attached to the company. Without it, the standard of work would not be as high, and the unique challenges that each choreographer brought about would not be achieved with such ease.

By closing the NTC, the DCTC will lose a vital organ. And we alums will lose an ever-expanding family with a common language and experience that strengthens American theatre and film.

I understand that board members look at the bottom line. But at 2 percent of their budget, closure of the NTC seems like an extremely ineffectual move. There is a desire to get the next generation of theatre-goers into the theatre. By severing the very body that develops the next generation of theatre artists, how do they expect to achieve this goal?

With Hamlet we are appealing to the very generation that they desire to woo. Done as a living graphic novel, I need only describe a few events of the play to peak a potential audience member’s interest. And if they love Hamlet, they will want to go to the theatre the next time they have the option: play or movie (especially if they can say to their friends that they know that actor, a highly doubtful scenario with film).

With Tartuffe, I think it sad that a play written in the 1600s is still so timely with the recent revelations of problem priests and preachers and false gurus, using their influence for personal gain. Nonetheless, it is a great play, and with nontraditional casting, we are pushing boundaries that need to toppled, while expanding our abilities as actors.

In short, if you’ve already purchased your tickets for these two shows, you’re in for a treat. If not, get them today as we are close to sold out. And after you see the shows write to the Denver Center or your local paper and spread the word. The NTC should not be closed. It is a vital organ, not only to the DCTC, but to the American theatre in general.

But now for sleep, I have a big day tomorrow!

Popularity: 4% [?]

By Jenna Panther, 3rd Year Student, National Theatre Conservatory

Jenna Panther

When people ask me what part I am playing in the National Theatre Conservatory’s production of Hamlet, I am always pleased watch their reaction as I tell them that I am playing one of the Hamlets. They look at me like I am crazy, until I tell them that for the purposes of this production, the role of Hamlet is being split up among four actors: two men and two women.  Each actor plays a section of the role and then the next actor comes in and takes over—sort of tag team style.  The original reason for casting four actors as Hamlet was merely to even out the work.  But in our time working on the piece, we have come to discover how splitting up the role might help tell the story in a new way.  By having four actors, two of whom are women, play this one role, we are able to highlight certain aspects of the character, like Hamlet’s masculine and feminine traits.  Over the course of the play Hamlet has quite an evolution.  Each of the four actors marks a huge stage in his development.  We start with Sean playing the pouty juvenile delinquent, who is suddenly charged with purpose when he meets his father’s ghost.  Next Rebecca enters, searching for answers and full of intellectual curiosity.  Then Scott takes over, as the angry young man who takes action, but fails in his attempts.  Then, I come in, a new man, resolved to my fate and coming to terms with my own death.

This approach obviously has many challenges.  One of them being that each of us is only playing a piece of a role.  So we must all agree on the choices that are made.  Any choice that one actor makes reverberates in the others’ performances.  For instance, Hamlet says that he will put on an “antic disposition” and so all four actors must agree on what that looks like and sounds like when Hamlet is “acting crazy.”  Since I am playing the fourth Hamlet and don’t enter until the end of the play, I must understand and agree with the choices that have been made by the other actors.  What’s more, I must play my section of the part as if I had actually played the others.  I must fully engage my imagination and enter with the full weight of what has happened before my entrance.  Of course, this is important in all acting, but it just seems more extreme in this case.  Another challenge is figuring out how, if at all, being a woman might have an impact on playing Hamlet.  In the beginning we talked about whether or not we should lower our voices and move more like men. We have discovered that Hamlet does have many masculine and feminine qualities, so we can in fact use our femininity in the playing of the role as opposed to trying to conceal it.  As difficult and exciting as it is to play even a quarter of Hamlet, it makes me wonder how daunting and incredible it would be to get to play the entire role someday.

Popularity: 7% [?]

By Meghan Wolf, actress playing Desdemona in Othello, Denver Center Theatre Company

This week I have been exploring Desdemona’s innocence and purity, which appears as fairly extreme to our modern, feminist sensibilities. At the turn of the century, even more than when the play was written, women were exceedingly obedient, so all of my modern impulses to stand up for myself are not appropriate here. Instead, we are focusing on the intention of being loving toward Othello, through and despite his mistreatment of Desdemona. The thinking is that the more Desdemona loves Othello, the more devastating the disintegration of their love will be.

It is very counter-intuitive to literally turn the other cheek; I want to fight back! But I am enjoying investigating these unfamiliar choices and foreign states of mind. One of the reasons I became an actor was to fathom the endless variety with which individuals experience and interface with reality. To do so in a way very different from my own is a valuable learning experience.

The questions I’m asking now concern Desdemona’s relationship with her innocence and purity: “Does she feel and suppress the impulse to fight back? Is she aware of the cultural attractiveness of purity in women and if so, does she consciously (or sub-consciously) utilize it to please her husband?” My actor’s instincts tell me that any awareness of innocence would undermine it…but it’s an interesting question.

Part of my training taught me to marry my actor’s inner experience with what the character is going through moment to moment. For example: if a moment in the play makes the actor feel self-conscious, then in that moment, the character feels self-conscious too. If the character’s behavior or words in that same moment happen to convey a contradictory state (say, self-assured), then the actor can play that the character is trying to appear self-assured through the presenting feelings of self-consciousness. It may sound like a fractured cerebral process but it is actually pretty intuitive and, when it works, can produce a satisfying seamlessness between actor and character states.

On a technical note, I am working against a contraindicated physical reaction right now as well, specifically in the final scene of the play. When playing the recipient of death by smothering, the impulse is to stop breathing. But holding my breath throughout the choking would result in gasping for air once I am finally ‘dead’…which would kind of kill that illusion. Remembering to keep breathing while playing suffocation like is like patting your head and rubbing your stomach! I will have to practice this a lot.

Popularity: 11% [?]

By Meghan Wolf, actress playing Desdemona in Othello, Denver Center Theatre Company

Well, the fun and games are over…on to death.

OTHELLO playing Mar 26 - May 31 at The Denver Center

It’s one thing to read the scenes around the table and yet another to embody them. The former is a more theoretical process, closer to story-telling, and the latter is much more personal, like actually living it! This is part of why I love acting – it is a privilege to get to shoot back in time to another era and take on the spirit of another life, let her live (and die) through me…it is thrilling. But it is also sad. To fight for one’s life and love and, ultimately lose..? This is part of the journey and it is a journey I am excited for. However, it is necessarily heart-breaking. If I don’t break my heart every night in this show, I am not doing the story justice.

So, I bought myself flowers, chocolate and wine this week. I know no better remedies for a broken heart…

In my off-time, I’ve been exploring downtown with my little dog, Lilly. This week we have been reveling in this incredibly beautiful weather (and I’ve been reveling in the chance to rub it in to my poor snow-bound friends back in NYC).

I am still getting used to living closer to the sun – learning how not to burn rice at a mile high, taking it slow in yoga class.

I’ve started reading a massive tomb called Victorian Women, which is adding to my imaginative fodder for the life of the corseted lady. (Did I mention that our Othello is set at the turn of the century?) From the chapter entitled “Forming the lady: Comportment and dress for young women” comes this advice: “The gait of a woman should be neither too fast nor too slow….Her expression must be sweet and modest. It is not in good taste for a woman to speak with too much animation or too loudly….” I, of course will need to balance these restraints with the demands of a theatrical production. I must be heard, after all, and some animation will be required so as not to bore my audience to death! This is a delicious challenge. Part of the actor’s task is to absorb the given circumstances of the world of the play and then balance verisimilitude therein with the presentation of that world to an audience. Luckily, I have help – my director will keep a sharp eye on this balance with me.

Today is the day I will don my rehearsal corset. We are working a bit of violence this afternoon and I must get accustomed to falling to my knees within its bony grasp..!
 

It will be a perpetual Valentine’s Day for me until further notice. You may send flowers, chocolate, or wine to me at the theatre and thanks in advance.

Popularity: 11% [?]

By Meghan Wolf, actress playing Desdemona in Othello, Denver Center Theatre Company

This week we moved from table and script work to blocking, which means we got up on our feet for the first time!

Working with Robert Jason Jackson (our Othello) is like dancing with a very skilled leader. I am grateful to be in such excellent hands. He even literally swept me off my feet in one scene — keep your eyes peeled for that move in the performance.

Today we blocked a particularly thrilling staging moment, the “bar room brawl.” Our fight director, Geoff Kent, had the exacting challenge of choreographing chaos while keeping everyone safe. He managed to create something both graceful and deadly looking — it was pretty riveting!

Playing in the round is such a unique adventure; we must act with our whole body (as always, yet even more so). In the round, we must employ a lot of “back acting,” etc. It is a great work for honing our instrument from every angle.

To help find Desdemona’s stance and stride, I’m wearing long skirts and little lace-up booties with a small heel to rehearsal. Soon, the costume shop will make a rehearsal corset available to me to help me get used to being squeezed to death on a daily basis. (I’m hoping that happens later rather than sooner..wink, wink.)

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More posts from Meghan

Popularity: 8% [?]

Bryce Baldwin, age 11, normally lives in Thornton, Colorado on a small farm, complete with sheep, goats, llamas, a dog and a hamster. But a few months ago he left his home to tour the country as “Michael Banks” in the national tour Mary Poppins, headed for The Buell Theatre March 4-April 4. Bryce is an immensely talented young actor who appeared on the Denver Center stage as one of the young princes in Richard III in 2009. We caught up with him while the tour was in Los Angeles.

Have you enjoyed traveling on tour? Where are you right now?

Yes, I love the tour. It is so much fun to see the new cities. I am in sunny Los Angeles, California…feeling a little guilty being warm when everyone at home is freezing this winter.

What is your favorite place you’ve visited so far?

I am not sure that I have a favorite. Every city has something special about it. The theatres are all different and have their own history of how old they are and who has performed in them. Some have murals backstage that the performers have made. Some of them are even haunted, which is especially interesting to me…we even found a coffin in the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. The cities are all different too and it is fun to see what is important to each area. I have gotten to meet a lot of famous people here in LA, so this place has definitely been fun!

Who from your family is on tour with you right now?

My Mom travels with me and I would do terribly without her help and support. Ashlee (my sister) and my Dad have been to every city except Houston. My grandparents came to Houston so my Mom could go home for awhile, so I had a lot of fun seeing them. It is always nice when my family comes because I really miss them. There isn’t an opportunity for me to go home because of the schedule – that’s hard because I miss all my friends and I have a lot of animals and I miss being able to see them too. I travel with my hamster, Bubbles, and I started a pet watching service for the cast called “Baldwin Buddies,” so that helps get me my animal fix.

Now that you have been on the show for awhile, do you have a favorite song or dance that you enjoy performing most right now?

I don’t think I have a favorite because the whole show is magical and fun to perform. My favorite is just being able to do it all. The story is so good and it is fun to bring it to the audience.

Tell us about your schedule.

We feel like we are in a time warp on tour. I am in school 4 – 5 hours a day Tuesday – Friday (sometimes on Saturday too). It kind of depends on the laws in the states we are in on how many hours we can do or what days we can have school. There are 8 shows a week and I do 4 of them but for the shows I don’t do, I still need to be at the theatre on stand-by. I have Mondays off from both school and work and that is our day to explore.

What will you tell your fellow castmates they must do when they are in Denver?

Every Sunday they should eat brunch at either the Armadillo or Cinzetti’s. The mountains are a must for a drive or skiing, but we have to be careful not to get broken. Estes Park is nice and also Casa Bonita is a big tourist site. The company housing choices are close to the 16^th Street Mall, which has everything. There are so many wonderful things to do in Denver and around there. And of course, they all need to make at least one visit to Baldwin Acres to see my animals.

Popularity: 13% [?]