February 28, 2025 • 8 mins
The Grand Rapids Civic Theater joins us for a Talk of the Town about their upcoming show - Disney's Camp Rock!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly from
West Michigan's Morning News and one of our favorite interviews
back in studio our friends at Grand Rapid Civic Theater.
Naddius Gidmore is the director of Marketing and Communications. Thank
you so much for coming in.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thank you for having me. You know how much I
love being here.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Next up, it's Disney's Camp Rock the Musical and speaking
of music, the music director is it music director? Yeah, yeah,
it's me. The music director. Josh Keller is here as well. Josh,
thanks for taking a break and for coming in.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh my gosh, it is my favorite place to be here.
I'm so happy to be here for my first time.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This thing gets underway on Friday. It runs through March sixteenth.
I'm going to start with you, Josh. For the unindoctrinated,
if you've never been a part of Camp Rock before,
tell us a little bit about what audiences can expect
when they come to Grand Rapid Civic Theater.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So Camp Rock is a story about friendship and standing
up for what you believe and also just supporting that
of what you believe in. It's about Mitchie and Shane
and so many different friends in their summer camp experiences
and how they come head to head with Camp Star,
the enemy Camp across the Lake. And this is totally
(01:14):
meant for young audiences and families and also anyone like
me who grew up with Camp Rock when they were
in either middle school or high school.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I don't know which one.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
That one is free, but it's a great bit of nostalgia.
It pulls from material from the first movie and the
second movie, and it's a great time.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
As music directors. So you've been involved in the thick
of this thing from the beginning. We've got twenty eight
volunteer performers that includes nine newcomers, as well as students
from Civic School of Theater Arts and members of the
Young Artist Studio. Talk to us a little bit about
wrangling all those people together and will.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Tell them about like the massive talent we have in
this community. Oh my gosh, it was like selective to
get the people that we got. It was so competitive
to finally whittle down and put together all the puzzle.
But it's so nice to pull from so many diverse
places in this community.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Among our first timers.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I'm so glad that they're coming from so many far
neighborhoods of Green Rapids for Civic Young Artist Studio. Folks
like I work with those kids as well as a
mentor in the Young Artist studio. There's others that are
part of Civic School of Theater Arts that I've taught classes.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
For and things.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
So you just kind of like watch them grow up
and then suddenly they're in your cast and you're like, WHOA,
You've really come full circle.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Grct dot org to find out more information. Again, it
is through March sixteenth, gets underway on Friday. So Nadia
tell us a little bit about ticket availability, about groups,
about special nights. What do we need to know about
this experience?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, so we love doing a family focused show in
the spring, in February and March. Even though it doesn't
feel like spring right now, it builds very wintry, so
how about we say on the cusp of spring. But
we absolutely love offering a wide variety of accessible programs.
Right We've talked so many times before about ASL interpreted
(03:05):
performances and pre show touch tours and audio described performances.
We still have one of those for this show. But
one of the other things we have that is super
special is we have what's called Low Sensory Night, So
Low Sensory Night it's an added additional performance. It is
on March tenth, and that is specific for audience members
(03:26):
that may have sensitivity to light, lots of sounds, need
to be able to have some fidgets with them and
things of that sort, and we offer the opportunity for
those folks that need a low sensory performance to attend
with their families. It has a great rate and a
great price that goes along with it. You can get
all the information by reaching out to our box office.
Because it's such a specific performance, we don't sell tickets
(03:48):
for that online, but you can call our box office
at six one six two two two six six five
zero or email them at tickets at GRCT dot org
for more information on how to attend. It's just super
special and definitely a highlight program. We love being able
to create accessible theater for all.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Again, you'll find those links at GRCT dot org. But
Josh I wanted to ask you if if you grew
up watching the camp Rock movies right three of them
big ass like Demi Levado and the Jonas Brothers and
these things. Talk to us about coaxing those performances or
hearing those performances. There's somebody that is going to blow
us away.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Oh my gosh, yes that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Maybe you had no idea when they first came in.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Oh absolutely, I mean you have high I mean music director,
we have really high expectations for whatever this music is
going to be. You know, when you're working on a show,
whether it's junior show or a full scale whatever. This
is full scale whatever it's as we're bringing in young
artists and even young twenty somethings into the fold, then
they're bringing their years of talent as well. When we
(04:55):
were auditioning our Michie and our Shanes, like they're not
exactly the lowest singers.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
They they really are are going to blow you away.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I mean, if you're familiar with Demi Levado's whole catalog
of music, this would be on her earlier side, so
like think of like here we Go Again or something
like that. It sounds a lot like that, and it's
just like classic, really good like classic band instruments, rock
band kind of sound.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
And our Shane is just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
They have some several really great duets together, and I
think that their voices work really well.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Again, Disney's Camp Rock the musical grct dot Org gets
underway Friday through March sixteenth. I want to ask you, lastly, Josh,
if you are the parent of a child who has
such promise, who sings amazingly, say in the shower, but
then when any audition comes up where they sing at
church even and they get skittish right because of the crowds,
how do you coax performances out of people that don't
(05:45):
feel comfortable that way?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Oh my gosh, that's literally my whole business, right, audition coaching.
Find yourself, Find yourself somebody. There's so many great voice
teachers in this community. I mean, low key plug including myself.
But it's true, it's true, But it's find yourself a
voice teacher or someone you really trust to just like
get up there and sing your song and just see
how you feel. And if that makes you feel special, important,
(06:08):
or that you've done something that you really feel like
you needed to do, then I think that that's where
you need to step further into next. Find that voice teacher,
find somebody that's going to keep nurturing you and then
get you into the theater, get get to an audition,
and we'll see you there.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Anything you wanted to add to that, you yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, absolutely well, because I think one of the things
that a lot of people don't realize is that when
people walk into an audition, you've got this panel of
people that are there that's probably made up of your director,
assistant director, a music director, choreographer, stage manager, and maybe
some of their other assistants, and every single person behind
that table they are rooting for you. They want you
(06:50):
to succeed, and and even you know, like, so Josh,
you know, obviously is an amazing, amazing music director. I've
had the opportunity to work with him as a music director,
as a cast member, and I've been a cast member.
Josh and I have been cast members together. But what
is just so amazing? And I think, like, Josh, wouldn't
you say that you and I even struggle with this
sometimes and that we think that we walk into a
(07:13):
room thinking that we know what the people behind the
table want to see, and we start to make ourselves
what we think they want versus who we are. And
if you just come in and offer up what you
have that is legit. The best thing that you can
do when you walk into an interview is to just
(07:34):
show up as your authentic self. And maybe there's imperfection
in that, and maybe there's some green novice to that,
and sometimes those are the people that so are straight
to the top because they're just open to whatever it
is it happens, and that's just it's so cool. It's
the audition room, especially at Civic, is just pure magic.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
And twenty eight volunteer politely during Disney's Camp Rock the
Musical Again. It gets underway on Friday, runs through March sixteenth.
Tickets at GRCT dot org. Josh Keller is the music director.
Thank you so much for coming in, Thank you for
having me. Nadias Gidmore, the director of marketing Communications. Always
great stuff, Thank.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You, always a pleasure to see you. Thanks friend.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
This is Talk of the Town on news Radio Wood
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly from
West Michigan's Morning News and one of our favorite interviews
back in studio our friends at Grand Rapid Civic Theater.
Naddius Gidmore is the director of Marketing and Communications. Thank
you so much for coming in.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thank you for having me. You know how much I
love being here.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Next up, it's Disney's Camp Rock the Musical and speaking
of music, the music director is it music director? Yeah, yeah,
it's me. The music director. Josh Keller is here as well. Josh,
thanks for taking a break and for coming in.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh my gosh, it is my favorite place to be here.
I'm so happy to be here for my first time.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This thing gets underway on Friday. It runs through March sixteenth.
I'm going to start with you, Josh. For the unindoctrinated,
if you've never been a part of Camp Rock before,
tell us a little bit about what audiences can expect
when they come to Grand Rapid Civic Theater.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So Camp Rock is a story about friendship and standing
up for what you believe and also just supporting that
of what you believe in. It's about Mitchie and Shane
and so many different friends in their summer camp experiences
and how they come head to head with Camp Star,
the enemy Camp across the Lake. And this is totally
(01:14):
meant for young audiences and families and also anyone like
me who grew up with Camp Rock when they were
in either middle school or high school.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I don't know which one.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
That one is free, but it's a great bit of nostalgia.
It pulls from material from the first movie and the
second movie, and it's a great time.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
As music directors. So you've been involved in the thick
of this thing from the beginning. We've got twenty eight
volunteer performers that includes nine newcomers, as well as students
from Civic School of Theater Arts and members of the
Young Artist Studio. Talk to us a little bit about
wrangling all those people together and will.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Tell them about like the massive talent we have in
this community. Oh my gosh, it was like selective to
get the people that we got. It was so competitive
to finally whittle down and put together all the puzzle.
But it's so nice to pull from so many diverse
places in this community.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Among our first timers.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I'm so glad that they're coming from so many far
neighborhoods of Green Rapids for Civic Young Artist Studio. Folks
like I work with those kids as well as a
mentor in the Young Artist studio. There's others that are
part of Civic School of Theater Arts that I've taught classes.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
For and things.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
So you just kind of like watch them grow up
and then suddenly they're in your cast and you're like, WHOA,
You've really come full circle.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Grct dot org to find out more information. Again, it
is through March sixteenth, gets underway on Friday. So Nadia
tell us a little bit about ticket availability, about groups,
about special nights. What do we need to know about
this experience?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, so we love doing a family focused show in
the spring, in February and March. Even though it doesn't
feel like spring right now, it builds very wintry, so
how about we say on the cusp of spring. But
we absolutely love offering a wide variety of accessible programs.
Right We've talked so many times before about ASL interpreted
(03:05):
performances and pre show touch tours and audio described performances.
We still have one of those for this show. But
one of the other things we have that is super
special is we have what's called Low Sensory Night, So
Low Sensory Night it's an added additional performance. It is
on March tenth, and that is specific for audience members
(03:26):
that may have sensitivity to light, lots of sounds, need
to be able to have some fidgets with them and
things of that sort, and we offer the opportunity for
those folks that need a low sensory performance to attend
with their families. It has a great rate and a
great price that goes along with it. You can get
all the information by reaching out to our box office.
Because it's such a specific performance, we don't sell tickets
(03:48):
for that online, but you can call our box office
at six one six two two two six six five
zero or email them at tickets at GRCT dot org
for more information on how to attend. It's just super
special and definitely a highlight program. We love being able
to create accessible theater for all.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Again, you'll find those links at GRCT dot org. But
Josh I wanted to ask you if if you grew
up watching the camp Rock movies right three of them
big ass like Demi Levado and the Jonas Brothers and
these things. Talk to us about coaxing those performances or
hearing those performances. There's somebody that is going to blow
us away.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Oh my gosh, yes that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Maybe you had no idea when they first came in.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Oh absolutely, I mean you have high I mean music director,
we have really high expectations for whatever this music is
going to be. You know, when you're working on a show,
whether it's junior show or a full scale whatever. This
is full scale whatever it's as we're bringing in young
artists and even young twenty somethings into the fold, then
they're bringing their years of talent as well. When we
(04:55):
were auditioning our Michie and our Shanes, like they're not
exactly the lowest singers.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
They they really are are going to blow you away.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I mean, if you're familiar with Demi Levado's whole catalog
of music, this would be on her earlier side, so
like think of like here we Go Again or something
like that. It sounds a lot like that, and it's
just like classic, really good like classic band instruments, rock
band kind of sound.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
And our Shane is just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
They have some several really great duets together, and I
think that their voices work really well.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Again, Disney's Camp Rock the musical grct dot Org gets
underway Friday through March sixteenth. I want to ask you, lastly, Josh,
if you are the parent of a child who has
such promise, who sings amazingly, say in the shower, but
then when any audition comes up where they sing at
church even and they get skittish right because of the crowds,
how do you coax performances out of people that don't
(05:45):
feel comfortable that way?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Oh my gosh, that's literally my whole business, right, audition coaching.
Find yourself, Find yourself somebody. There's so many great voice
teachers in this community. I mean, low key plug including myself.
But it's true, it's true, But it's find yourself a
voice teacher or someone you really trust to just like
get up there and sing your song and just see
how you feel. And if that makes you feel special, important,
(06:08):
or that you've done something that you really feel like
you needed to do, then I think that that's where
you need to step further into next. Find that voice teacher,
find somebody that's going to keep nurturing you and then
get you into the theater, get get to an audition,
and we'll see you there.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Anything you wanted to add to that, you yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, absolutely well, because I think one of the things
that a lot of people don't realize is that when
people walk into an audition, you've got this panel of
people that are there that's probably made up of your director,
assistant director, a music director, choreographer, stage manager, and maybe
some of their other assistants, and every single person behind
that table they are rooting for you. They want you
(06:50):
to succeed, and and even you know, like, so Josh,
you know, obviously is an amazing, amazing music director. I've
had the opportunity to work with him as a music director,
as a cast member, and I've been a cast member.
Josh and I have been cast members together. But what
is just so amazing? And I think, like, Josh, wouldn't
you say that you and I even struggle with this
sometimes and that we think that we walk into a
(07:13):
room thinking that we know what the people behind the
table want to see, and we start to make ourselves
what we think they want versus who we are. And
if you just come in and offer up what you
have that is legit. The best thing that you can
do when you walk into an interview is to just
(07:34):
show up as your authentic self. And maybe there's imperfection
in that, and maybe there's some green novice to that,
and sometimes those are the people that so are straight
to the top because they're just open to whatever it
is it happens, and that's just it's so cool. It's
the audition room, especially at Civic, is just pure magic.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
And twenty eight volunteer politely during Disney's Camp Rock the
Musical Again. It gets underway on Friday, runs through March sixteenth.
Tickets at GRCT dot org. Josh Keller is the music director.
Thank you so much for coming in, Thank you for
having me. Nadias Gidmore, the director of marketing Communications. Always
great stuff, Thank.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You, always a pleasure to see you. Thanks friend.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
This is Talk of the Town on news Radio Wood
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
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