One of the finest musicals of the last few decades is the absolutely stunning "Spring Awakening" with music by Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Steven Sater. The way that show balances heartbreak and bittersweet hope with show-stopping musical numbers is unlike any mainstream Broadway production since "Rent."
I had heard Sheik and Sater's follow-up musical, "Alice By Heart," was a trippy and catchy delight, so I had been looking forward in trying to catch the show Off-Broadway. So, it's very exciting that Summit Theater Company was granted exclusive rights to perform the show in Oregon before anywhere else. I chatted with Lara Okamoto, the theater teacher at Summit High School, about "Alice By Heart" and what audiences can expect from the production.
Source Weekly: Can you tell me a little about your history with theatre? How many shows have you put on?
Lara Okamoto: I've been teaching theatre for 16 years, 11 at Summit. In that time, I've directed just shy of 50 shows. Prior to moving to Bend, I worked for Theatre Aspen in Aspen, Colorado, working first backstage in wardrobe and as a dresser and then as the house manager for several seasons. I learned a lot about the business of theatre from really incredible professionals who are the top in their fields. I try my best to build that quality of professionalism into every student production.
SW: Can you tell me about "Alice By Heart?" I know you're one of the only theaters to have been given the rights to perform it.
LO: "Alice by Heart" is a show written by the Tony- and Grammy-award-winning creators of "Spring Awakening," Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson ("Waitress"). The story is beautifully written, and the music is gorgeous and incredibly unique for the genre of musical theatre. The show tells the story of Alice Spencer, a 15-year-old girl stuck underground in a Tube Station during the WWII Blitz of London. She uses her imagination to transform the world and people around her into the characters of her favorite book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." It's a story about coming of age in a time of great strife, learning to grow up with grace and how to cope with tragedy. These are such relevant themes for our students. Even though we're not actively going through a war, the world has gotten smaller. With 24-hour news cycles and social media, it feels like tragedy is all around us and we are witnessing that trauma response coming out of the pandemic. We are all Alice, trying to navigate our surroundings, learning when to find the escapes in our mind and when we need to face reality. I don't think there's been a more appropriate time for a show like this.
SW: Do you think the youth's appreciation of theater has changed much in your time teaching? I always think about how theatre went away during Covid and wonder if it made people lose the habit of seeing live performances. What do you think the future of theatre is? Will it change?
LO: I think theatre is more important than ever. Theatre teaches empathy, self-awareness, adaptability and how to collaborate and work within a deadline. I find that it is harder to get high school students to want to take risks coming out of the pandemic. There are fewer students that want to try something new or outside of their comfort zone. They're more anxious and outwardly stressed. However, because of that, I think the students that have found their way to theatre are braver. I am so impressed with this cast and what they have accomplished with this show. I really want to change the stigma around high school theatre. It really is for everyone, and I'd love to see audiences come out to support them.
SW: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
LO: As stated above, I think these students are amazing. I always want audiences to walk away feeling changed. Whether it is because their perspective on what high school theatre is and can be is changed or whether it is about the message of the show. And this message is powerful. It's tragically beautiful. I sing the song "Winter Blooms" to my kids every night before I put them to bed, because I think the lyrics and message are so important:
"Nothing comes or goes without a shadow
Somewhere in the soul you light the candle
Let the sorrow go, it's half the battle
Down the hole you go and there you are."
That's life in a stanza. Life is a series of trials, but it's up to us to keep the light burning within. We have every opportunity to drown in sorrow and self-pity, but letting go of it and learning to move on is the most difficult and most important lesson we can learn to do.
SW: Anything else you would like to add?
LO: I just think this is an incredible show with a very powerful and relevant message. I'm proud to be one of the first to produce it outside of Broadway and the only [company], last time I checked, to be performing it in Oregon. I'm excited to introduce this show to our little corner of the world. I hope people will fall in love with the music and story as we all have on our journey to tell it. We're also very excited to have a special guest at our December 8th performance. Original cast member, Andrew Kober, will be in the audience and giving a 30-minute talkback with the audience after the show about his experience in the development of the original production and performing it Off-Broadway. It's such an unbelievable experience to have someone of his caliber in Bend, sharing his insight and experience with us!
