As the lights on stage go out, Keira Leung, senior, smiles even wider as she hears the sizzle of fireworks lighting up the sky behind her.
“You’re told not to look at the audience members, but you always have to catch a glimpse because there’s so many people,” Leung said. “It’s kind of like, ‘Wow, we did it in eleven days and we finally get to put it on the stage.’”
From Aug. 9-15, fireworks illuminated an audience of over 12,000 a night as Leung performed in “In the Heights” at the Saint Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (Muny) in Forest Park.
Leung was also part of “Dreamgirls” and “Waitress” as a member of the Youth Ensemble at the Muny and Muny Teens.
The Youth Ensemble allows kids ages nine to eighteen to participate in some of the Muny’s seven productions during the summer. With Muny Teens, Leung and 33 other teens perform a medley of singing and dancing at a 20-minute pre show on a side platform next to the theater.
Before coming to the Muny, Leung auditioned but did not make Triple Threats at STAGES. Leung then made it onto Muny Kids, a program for kids between nine and fourteen years old similar to Muny Teens, in 2018.
In the beginning, Leung said, it was hard to click with everyone.
“I’ve definitely gotten closer to the people who I was intimidated by, and I’m friends with everyone now,” Leung said.
Leung has many memories of the Muny, from ripped “Beauty and the Beast” costumes in 2023 to malfunctioning wigs during “Chicago” in 2021. She is grateful that the Muny’s size helps it draw a crowd.
“I think it brings in a lot of people because of how many seats there are, and there’s also free seats for people who can’t afford a seat,” Leung said.
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Drew Mathers, senior, has been a part of Show Choir, a class combining singing and choreographed dancing, since his freshman year. He said that being in Show Choir was useful in gaining experience he could incorporate into Muny productions. “It definitely had some large differences; however, the base ideas are the same so it is super helpful,” Mathers said.
Media by Samantha Perz'
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Leung waits in the wings to perform in “Waitress” at the Muny. She enjoys the support from the adult ensemble. “It’s really cool because they’re like, ‘This is the future of musical theater,’” Leung said.
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Leung performs a special part in the Muny’s 2023 production of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” during the September playoff scene. “It was super exciting,” Leung said.
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Drew Mathers, senior, was also a Muny Teen and Youth Ensemble member this summer. He performed in “Les Miserables” and “In the Heights.”
Mathers was excited to meet theater actor Alex Joseph Grayson while performing “In the Heights.”
“He was one of the lead roles in ‘Parade’ on Broadway and he was phenomenal, so it’s just really cool that a local theater is able to get the talent of legit stars,” Mathers said.
Mathers also met Kevin Chamberlain, who played Bertram in “Jessie,” at a Muny Teens preshow.
“He was really cool and he was really nice,” Mathers said.
While being a part of Muny Teens and the Youth Ensemble can be intense, Mathers is grateful for the experience that comes with it, including learning from experienced professionals.
“When you work with the adult ensemble, you can ask them all these questions about college, how they navigate personal life and professional life, all these different things,” Mathers said. “Muny really gets you to see how hard the industry can be, but it can be really rewarding too.”
Sofia Chirco, junior, saw Mathers in “Les Miserables” at the Muny with her mom Cathy and younger sister, Ava. Chirco is friends with Mathers and said she enjoyed watching him perform.
“I felt really proud when I saw Drew,” Chirco said. “I love ‘Les Miserables,’ but the fact that he was in it was just so cool.”
Chirco said she also appreciates how the Muny fosters an interest in musical theater in the community.
“I think it exposes people in St. Louis to the arts when we’re not in a place like Chicago or New York that has big exposure,” Chirco said.
Rebecca Blindauer, theater teacher, agrees.
“The fact that they do seven to eight shows a summer at the caliber that they do is such a gift for St. Louis,” Blindauer said.
Blindauer has been performing at the Muny for the past 10 years but was not a part of any shows this summer. She appreciates how Muny Teens allows high schoolers to get a glimpse of what being a professional in musical theater is like.
“It’s a great experience for them to see how quick they put shows together,” Blindauer said. “Some of the actors they bring in from New York are really well respected, very accomplished people, which speaks volumes about Kwofe Coleman [President and CEO] and Mike Isaacson [Artistic Director and Executive Producer].”
Blindauer is proud of all her students who have been a part of Muny Teens.
“It’s highly competitive, so if a kid gets in it’s no small accomplishment,” Blindauer said. “To have known several kids who come from this school who then have done it is pretty cool.”