Theatre Beat — The Players’ First Year At NTPAC & Congrats, Kyle & Co.! 

The New Tampa Players received $10,000 from Social Venture Partners of Tampa Bay at the “Fast Pitch” competition for NTP’s Ampersand programming for special needs adults. (Photos provided by the New Tampa Players)

Since the New Tampa Performing Arts Center opened a year ago, the New Tampa Players (NTP) theatre troupe has been on the move. 

If you saw all the New Tampa Players’ shows so far this year, you’ve visited an enchanted castle in France, the hallways of Rydell High, the walls of Duloc, and cities across the USA on tour with the Dreams. (Did you spot all those shows? That was “Beauty and the Beast,” “Grease,” “Shrek,” and “Dreamgirls” — what an amazing year!) 

But wait, there’s still more: 

City of Tampa Awards NTP $75K For Penguin Project & Ampersand Theatre Programs 

Last month, the Tampa City Council approved a grant for $75,000 to enrich NTP’s Penguin Project and Ampersand Theatre programs. 

Penguin Project is a national theatre program for children and young adults with special needs. NTP started its chapter in 2018, making it the first such program in Florida. Each year, the Players produce a Penguin Project musical with 40-45 artists with special needs. 

In 2023, NTP spun off Ampersand Theatre, a new theatre troupe concept for adults with disabilities. The program began with a summer intensive serving 25 artists, and it continues this month with a special Penguin Project/Ampersand Theatre collaboration on “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Rehearsals have been in progress for months, and the performances will be held the weekend of April 19-21. All of the artists and mentors (almost 100 performers altogether!) invite you to join them for a night of joy. 

Tickets for “Joseph” are available at NewTampaPlayers.org. 

NTP Wins 2nd Place at Social Venture Partners Of Tampa Bay “Fast Pitch” Competition 

The Ampersand artists won 2nd place in the 2024 Social Ventures Partners of Tampa Bay “Fast Pitch” Competition and will receive $10,000 for NTP’s Ampersand programming. The troupe competed against six other nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area, including WellFed Community, EmpowHERment, Girls Rock, the Florida Dream Center, NAMI Pinellas and Water Smart Tots Foundation. 

The Fast Pitch Competition program provides funding and strategic consulting to innovative nonprofits addressing critical issues in the Tampa Bay region. 

Auditions For “Singin’ In The Rain” 

NTP is hosting auditions for our summer musical: “Singin’ in the Rain.” The performances this summer will be at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center as usual, but if you come out for the auditions on April 27, April 29, April 30, and May 1, make sure you head for NTP’s blackbox theater and rehearsal space at University Mall —Uptown Stage. All New Tampa Players performers are local community members. 

Visit NewTampaPlayers.org or see the ad below for more information! 

Recapping Kyle Fisher’s “Ember” 

Fraud investigator by day and actor by night, New Tampa resident Kyle Fisher (who played Kenickie in NTP’s “Grease” and Lord Farquaad in NTP’s “Shrek: The Musical”) set out to answer the question “What is the cost of a wish?” His journey finding the answer to that question made its world premiere at Uptown Stage last month in “Ember: A New Musical.” 

The embers of Ember (no, I could not resist that pun!) began many years ago. Fisher can’t name a specific date he started working on the show apart from his habit of writing down any inspiration or line of music or dialog that comes to him. The first song to form was “Wish,” with the tagline “What do you wish for?” This song became the foundation for the rest of the musical, as it came together over nights of pizza and workshopping with choreographer Makayla Raines and actor Dylan Fidler, both of whom also have performed in multiple NTP shows. 

Ember is a spellbinding musical that explores the boundaries between dreams and damnation. In a world where the mundane meets the magical, farm boy ‘Guy’ yearns for adventure. When the enigmatic demon ‘Sequins’ offers to fulfill his deepest desires in exchange for his soul, Guy plunges headfirst into a Faustian bargain. The tale is a captivating journey of redemption and unexpected alliances. Can a demon, driven by ambition, rediscover forgotten compassion and love? Will Guy, armed with newfound powers and a heart full of hope, conquer the challenges laid before him? In “Ember,” the stakes are high, the magic is potent, and the battle for the soul takes center stage. 

Through the workshopping and production process, Fisher’s characters grow and evolve. The character that underwent the most transformation was Sammy, played by Ashleigh Dudek. 

“Between the first draft of the script and first performance of the show,” Fisher said, “Sammy gained a solo, a new feature, and a huge amount of screentime, and I’m so glad the character ended up where it did. Ashleigh is a super talented actor and vocalist and it would’ve been devastating to me to have her in any less.” 

What is next for Kyle Fisher and the cast of “Ember?” They are on all on a much-deserved, much-needed break. 

Fisher explained, “When I finally get back into it, the first thing (to work on) are edits. Although the show got a lot of praise, I think I can deliver an even better experience, and I’ve got a small army of people who are willing to help. From there, I think there are still one or two songs that deserve a spot in the show cooking up in my head, but we’ll see how it all shakes out with cutting the show down. I’d hate to spring a new song onto the cast before any potential cast album.” 

For behind the scenes footage and the latest news on “Ember” and Kyle, follow them on social media: Tiktok.com/discover/ember-musical, Facebook.com/people/Ember-A-New-Musical/61551728386782/ or Instagram.com/embermusical/ 

New Tampa Projects In The City Of Tampa’s Fiscal ‘24 Budget 

The City of Tampa’s Fiscal 2024 budget includes $75,000 in funding for the New Tampa Players’ Penguin Project, whose production of “Beauty & the Beast” was the first performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. (Photo credit: Angie Schneider)

The City of Tampa’s Fiscal 2024 budget passed unanimously on October 3 and, according to District 7 City Council member Luis Viera (whose district includes all of New Tampa), a number of New Tampa projects were included in the budget allocations. 

1. K-Bar Ranch City Park — “I was able to put the plans for the city park in K-Bar Ranch in the Community Investment Tax (CIT) for future consideration,” Viera says. “This puts us in the dugout so to speak, and ready to bat when the time comes. That’s a big change and major movement forward for us there. This is the K-Bar Ranch Park I have been talking about with my constituents for a really long time. My idea was to move it into potential projects with plans ready to go in concrete.” 

2. Penguin Project Funding — “I was able to get $75,000 for the New Tampa Players (NTP) theatre troupe, for their Penguin Project, for an adult version arts program for people with intellectual disabilities,” Viera says. “Presently, when persons with intellectual disabilities in the Penguin Project (an effort by NTP to give persons with ID a first-class theatre opportunity — like ‘Aladdin,’ ‘Beauty & the Beast (photo), etc. — “age out” (at age 18), they are done with the program. This funding will allow NTP to create another program for adults. It’s wonderful. This project is spearheaded by NTP president Nora Paine, who is an amazing disability advocate who also is a Heritage Isles resident.” 

3. Street Repaving — “We were able to get about $7 million in new funding for repaving,” Viera says. “This will create opportunities for streets like New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows, which desperately needs to be resurfaced, and 30th St. (Bruce B. Downs Blvd. south of Fowler Ave.). Nothing is set in stone yet regarding which planned repaving projects will get what, but it moves us faster forward for New Tampa Blvd. for consideration. I believe the Tampa Palms Blvd. repaving is just about done.” 

4. Fire Station & Public Safety Funding — “I also was able to secure $1.5 million in design funding for Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) Station No. 25, which will be on Fowler Ave,” Viera says. “This will allow for better response times for the areas around Fowler Ave., but it also will allow Station No. 20 on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (serving the Tampa Palms area) to better serve areas north of Fowler, especially zip code 33647. The design of the new station will take about a year, and then, we will get construction funding. I have a motion coming in a month or so to look at government bonds for our new fire stations. So, while this budget item is not directly funding for New Tampa, it will allow areas in North Tampa south of Tampa Palms to be taken care of by this new forthcoming station, so that Station No. 20 can better focus on the areas to the north of Tampa Palms. So, it is a piece of the puzzle.” 

He adds, however, “As for direct fire station funding for New Tampa, we got money for a new rescue vehicle for TFR Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. (a little west of Morris Bridge Rd.) to help with response times for the K-Bar Ranch area. This is big news for that area.” 

And finally, Viera says, “The budget also allocated $50,000 to fund the city’s Public Safety Master Plan I have been pushing for three years. This means that we will have a citywide assessment of emergency response times and needs for both fire and police — which, of course, acutely affects New Tampa when it comes to fire safety.” 

A Whole New World For Performers With Special Needs

The joy in the room is palpable as the New Tampa Players’ Penguin Project group practices dance steps for “Prince Ali.” Peer mentor Olivia Carr dances with her Genie, Connor Olsen. (Photos: Libby Baldwin)

The cavernous main hall at the University Area Community Center swelled with a chorus of voices. The booming energy of the song “Prince Ali,” from the classic Disney film “Aladdin” sounded like a seasoned community theater production.

In fact, however, it was just a regular rehearsal for a very special group of New Tampa Players (NTP).

“Aladdin” will open on Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. 

All performances will be at the University Area Community Center, located at 14013 North 22nd St. in Tampa. Tickets can be purchased online for $15.

The local community theater troupe’s president, Nora Paine, was attending a theater conference in summer 2018 when she learned about the Penguin Project, an initiative that gives children with special needs the chance to perform onstage. 

Established in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan, who spent more than 35 years as central Illinois’ primary medical specialist for children with disabilities, the Penguin Project matches each “young artist” with a peer mentor. These mentors, who  are mostly children the same age as the performers who don’t have disabilities, volunteer their time to work side-by-side through four months of rehearsals and during the final performance.

“The New Tampa Players had been looking for something like this, but didn’t want to re-invent the wheel,” said Paine, herself a mother to three special needs children. “This program is unique because it gives these kids a chance for social networking outside of the special needs community.”

“Aladdin Junior,” which wasn’t modified from the original script, will be the first Penguin Project production not just for NTP, but in all of Florida.

The performing artists and their mentors attend 3-4 rehearsals per week that run for no longer than 90 minutes, to ensure attention spans don’t run out. Each peer mentor learns every line, every dance move and every blocking move, along with his or her artist. 

Rehearsals are no slower-paced than regular children’s theater; peer mentors are expected to keep their artists on task.

If a special needs child becomes upset, the show still must go on.

“The young artist and their mentor go off to the side until they are able to calm down,” Paine said. “Then, they come back and join us. No big deal.”

The special needs actors get plenty of support from the all-volunteer New Tampa Players’ staff if they become overwhelmed. Music director Brad Roberts and choreographer Charis Lavoie comfort a young artist. 

Paine has years of stage managing experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Montessori Education, but she and her staff of choreographers, costume designers and musicians are all volunteers.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the happiness that it brings these kids,” said Brad Roberts, the music director for NTP’s “Alladin Junior,” who says he previously has worked with special needs children.  “A lot of these kids, despite working at a different speed than I’m used to, have really impressed me with their raw talent and ability to learn and retain.”

While some of the artist-and-mentor pairs rehearsed, others sat patiently off to the side, using the time to run lines or go over dance steps. Even the youngest mentors, some under the age of ten, offered only smiles and  gentle encouragement to their artists.

“They’re just so open and ready to go for it, and that makes them be a really supportive family for each other, which you don’t always see in groups of ‘regular’ kids,” said Roberts.

Truly A Special Bond

The young mentors don’t seem to mind that all their hard work will lead to someone else getting the spotlight.

Olivia Carr works with Connor Olsen, who is playing the Genie, on his lines.

“I’ve found a really good friend, and an understanding for how these kids think,” said 13-year-old Olivia Carr, who peer mentors the young actor playing Genie. “I have a lot of fun with him because he’s very energetic, and we have the same personality.”

Olivia’s mom, Tami Carr, enjoys watching her daughter be part of such a selfless undertaking.

“She looks forward to rehearsals all day; being a kid in general is rough, so seeing anyone struggle makes her want to help,” said Carr. “I wish everyone would come and see how much joy they have. It’s contagious, and hopefully, it will ignite a spark here that will catch fire.”

Paine said she plans to put on one Penguin Project show each year, and said the response from the community has been overwhelming. She credits District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who is very involved in the special needs community, with helping her secure local sponsors, including Pepin Academies, the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, MOSI and more.

Paine’s 12-year-old son, Sebastian, mentors Jaden Figueroa, also 12, who landed the title role of Aladdin. Jaden said he wants to be a movie star when he grows up.

“He (Sebastian) helped me with my lines; we’re good friends,” said Jaden.

Paine’s 7-year-old daughter also Zoe is a peer mentor, and although the mentors don’t get the spotlight, Paine believes they gain something much more meaningful from the experience.

“She’ll come home after mentoring her friend Jack, and she’ll be so excited and proud that she helped him learn his lines and perform well,” she said. “They get a very special relationship.”

Penguin Project Offers Special Opportunity For Aspiring Special Needs Performers

One of the goals of the New Tampa Players (NTP) performance troupe has always been to introduce people to the theatre, and make it accessible for everyone.

The Penguin Project will help NTP meet its vision.

The project, a national effort to involve special needs actors in stage productions, is coming to Tampa, as NTP will adopt the Penguin Project for a production of a “Junior” version of “Aladdin” which is scheduled to run April 4-6, 2019.

Informational meetings about the production will be held on Monday, November 5, 7 p.m., and on Sunday, November 11, 5:30 p.m., at Family of Christ Lutheran Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms.

As a parent of special needs children, NTP president Nora Paine says she can’t wait to get started, adding that the response already has been greater than she expected, with interest from Bradenton to Brandon to Town N Country.

“We are well on our way,” says Paine.

The Penguin Project was founded by Dr. Andrew Morgan in Peoria, IL, in 2004. Dr. Morgan not only had a passion for helping disabled children, which he did as a pediatrician, but also for local community theatre. He saw no reason why he couldn’t combine the two, starting the Penguin Project, which pairs disabled children and adults ages 8-21 with mentors who aren’t disabled.

Dr. Morgan has described the experience of Penguin Project productions as life-changing for the special needs actors who take part.

Paine had been brainstorming ways to incorporate special needs actors into productions, but it was at a theater management conference in Venice, FL, earlier this summer that convinced her to reach out to Dr. Morgan.

“There were several theaters all around the country there (at the conference) talking about it,” Paine says. “After I heard everyone talk about it, I thought it would be a perfect fit for the New Tampa Players. There’s nothing like this in New Tampa.”

In Penguin Project productions, actors are paired with a same-age peer mentor, who will help the special needs participant learn his or her role.

The mentor, who also has to learn all of the lines and choreography, will perform on the stage with their special needs counterpart, usually in the background of a scene, offering encouragement and whispering lines that may be forgotten. The mentors also help with stage footwork.

“But, the special needs kids still get to be the stars of the show,” Paine says, “and they get to have that great theatre experience.”

The special needs of Penguin Project participants range from Down syndrome and cerebral palsy to learning and intellectual disabilities and other neurological disorders.

“I know there are organizations devoted to specific disabilities that do great things,” Paine says. “(With the) Penguin Project, however, it doesn’t matter what the disability is. They take the child where they are and supply the support that they need.”

The NTP troupe has already done productions with children involved that have some learning disabilities, but Paine thinks expanding that effort will be a good thing for the entire Tampa Bay area.

“I know the need for something like this is great,” she says.

During the four months of preparation for “Aladdin,” Paine says Dr. Morgan and his team will visit Tampa six times — including at the informational meetings at Family of Christ — to provide assistance with the production.

Already, Paine says she has more than 30 interested performers and production workers, and almost as many peer volunteers.

It will be a rewarding experience for both, she says. “It’s a two-way street,” Paine says. “Mentors are going to get a lot out of it. They can teach a lot of skills to the kids with special needs, and also get the reward of being able to help a child.”

For more information about the New Tampa Players and the troupe’s upcoming productions, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.