HOTT Productions marks milestone anniversary with 'Mary Poppins'
Nicole Silver of Schaumburg honed her choral skills in show choir at Fremd High School and she went on to pursue communications and theater at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California.
Her first job with the children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church drew on her passion for musical theater. There, Silver was part of a team that produced contemporary music and theater productions for young worshippers.
All of which prepared Silver for her latest role: Mary Poppins in HOTT Productions' 20th anniversary show.
HOTT is an acronym for Helping Others Through Theater, and over the years it has donated more than $125,000 to local charities.
A pair of Schaumburg sisters, Christine Seminaro and Donica Luzwick, started the company in 1995. Both are educators with Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54, and they earmark their proceeds for literacy and prevention initiatives in Schaumburg Township.
This year's show is special, beyond its milestone anniversary year: HOTT is the first community theater group in the area to land the rights to "Mary Poppins."
"We were all set to do '42nd Street,' which was our first show," says Luzwick, who doubles as the costumer and choreographer, "but this suddenly fell into our laps and we couldn't say no.
"It's been a major undertaking," she adds, "but we're thrilled. It's going to be a great show."
The pair rented some of the sets from the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, which staged "Mary Poppins" in December, and they have been working frantically to make costumes.
Rehearsals have taken place since March at Frost Junior High School in Schaumburg, and just last week, the cast performed for the first time with the 12-piece orchestra that will provide accompaniment for the musical.
This will be Silver's 15th show with HOTT Productions, and in many of those she has played the lead, including Dorothy in "Wizard of Oz," and Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." But this is her first time playing Mary Poppins.
"It's a dream role and I'm thankful for the opportunity," Silver says.
She heads a cast of 70 performers, who range in age from 5 to 70, and come from communities across the Northwest suburbs.
"It's a true community," Silver adds. "That's what I like about it. The cast includes so many families and kids. We're just a diverse group."
Playing the title role has proved challenging, with the play version drawing more from the original series of books written by P.L. Travers, in which the nanny makes her charges toe the line.
"In the play, she's much more strict and stern than in the Julie Andrews' version," Silver says. "I'm trying to find a nice balance. I definitely want to make her likable."
Another character struggling to make his character likable is Ken Slack of Gilberts, who plays Mr. Banks. Slack brings an air of authenticity to the role: He grew up in London and consequently, his British accent is real.
"I really believe that Banks is the undercurrent of the whole story," says Slack, who works as an underwriter for a reinsurance company in Schaumburg. "He's uptight, tense, and generally not warm to his family.
"It takes this magical nanny, who arrives on his doorstep, and then suddenly I do warm up," Slack adds. "I find that work-life balance I need to become more engaged in my children's lives and with my wife."
Slack has served as sort of a vocal coach to other actors in the company trying to nail their English accents, including with Mike Speedy of Arlington Heights, who plays the role of Bert, the chimney sweep.
Previously, Speedy played the part of Will Parker in "Oklahoma!" with HOTT, and he has performed in musicals with St. James Theater Productions in Arlington Heights.
Jack Keehan, a Schaumburg dentist, is the oldest - and tallest - member in the cast. A former center with the Dayton Flyers basketball team, he now gets his kicks, performing with his fellow cast members on stage.
He figures he has appeared in 15 straight shows with HOTT. In "Mary Poppins," he plays the eccentric Admiral Boom, the former naval officer who shoots off his canon to ward off the noisy chimney sweeps.
"I'm just amazed at the talent of all these young people," Keehan says. "I love being a part of it."
If you go
What: "Mary Poppins" staged by HOTT Productions
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 19, 20, 26 and 27; and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 21
Where: Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg
Cost: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and children 17 and under
Info: (847) 895-2828