[NEohioPAL] From in utero to Figaro

[Bob Abelman]

Child actor goes from in utero to Figaro

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

This article appeared in the Chagrin Valley Times 4/02/09

 


A tourist walks into a New York City bar.  He orders a beer and says, "Excuse me, bartender.  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"  The bartender replies, "Practice."

 

Substitute the tourist for a second-grader at Moreland Hills Elementary School, change the question to "How do you get to Playhouse Square," and the response would be "answer an e-mail from Opera Cleveland."

 

Better change the beer to milk while you're at it.

 

The e-mail was sent in January from the artistic administrator of Opera Cleveland, who was looking for children to appear in the 2009 season opener The Barber of Seville by composer Gioacchino Rossini.  The libretto does not actually call for children but, according to director Linda Brovsky in a recent Plain Dealer interview, children on stage solves the nearly 200 year old awkwardness of Figaro singing his solo with the famous refrain "Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!" to no one.  Their presence adds logic to the moment and a bit of playfulness to the aria.

 

Eight-year-old Ryan Vincent from Orange Village is the youngest of five children selected to appear in this professional production, with performances on March 27, March 29 and April 4 in the State Theater.  The opera is in Italian, but during the 10 days of rehearsal, Ryan and the others were only required to learn key words so they can follow the action, know when to react and know when to exit.

 

For Ryan, learning to act is something that was accomplished long ago.  It has been said that great performers like George M. Cohen and Eddie Foy were born in a backstage costume trunk and raised on the Vaudeville stage.  Ryan has them beat by being on stage in utero during one of his mother Staci's community theater performances.  He appeared in a local television commercial when he was a year old and, shortly thereafter, modeled for print ads for Step 2, Little Tikes, and World Bank coins, among others.  His Mom and his Dad, Leland, were approached by a talent agent when their son was only 18 months old.

 

By age four, Ryan was perfecting his acting chops in Playmakers Performing Arts productions in Beachwood under the direction of Sheri Gross.  A seasoned veteran by age seven, Ryan landed the role of Peter Dennis in the Hudson Players' production of the musical Mame.  The Chagrin Valley Times ran a review of this show and noted that while some of the featured performers unfortunately sucked the air out the room, young Ryan Vincent was a breath of fresh air.  He was charming and natural and all the other things that Opera Cleveland personnel obviously saw when casting local children for The Barber of Seville.

 

For three nights Ryan will have the unique opportunity to look out at the 3500 seats and the grand domed ceiling of the State Theatre from the vantage point of its historic stage.  This is the same view witnessed by vaudevillians like George M. Cohen and Eddie Foy back in the 1920s.

 

For three nights he will perform with professional opera singers, including Brian Leerhuber as Figaro, Daniela Mack as Rosina, Alek Shrader as Almaviva and Thomas Hammons as Dr. Bartolo.  Ryan takes none of this for granted and is cherishing each and every moment.

 

What has most impressed him, however, is the huge private dressing room he's been given.  "It comes with couches and lights around the mirrors and lockers," he proudly announces, "and I even have my own shower."    

 

Young Ryan Vincent is now a bona fide professional actor, having gone from in utero to Figaro in only eight years.  Better change the milk to evian with a twist. 
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