Never give up on your dream.
That was the message from two Broadway performers who stopped by the “Lion King Jr.” rehearsal of the Bayonne High School Drama Junior group on Thursday, July 23. More than 40 students in grades three through eight were working hard in preparation for their three performances in late July and early August.
Their guests were James Brown-Orleans, who originated the role of “Banzai” on the “Lion King” Gazelle Tour and is part of the Broadway staff, and Jim Ferris, who covers the musical’s nefarious character, “Scar,” on Broadway.
Brown-Orleans went to high school with Lori Alexander, a BHS teacher in the school’s Academy for Fine Arts and Academics and a director of the “Lion King Jr.” production.
Brown-Orleans and Ferris have performed their Lion King roles for 13 and 11 years respectively. When Brown-Orleans asks for a show of hands regarding students’ ages, some of the students had not yet been born when he started his Lion King work.
Both seasoned performers told the aspiring actors that achieving their goals was not easy. But they also coached the students not to let setbacks become permanent.
Brown-Orleans enraptured the students with a story of years of callbacks – seven in all – before he landed his dream role in the “Lion King.” The intervening years were filled with street performances in the Los Angeles area.
“He said to keep trying to become something; you will be successful in the end.” – Kyndal Parks
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Brown-Orleans told the students they will all have a Scar in their lives, someone or a group of people who will tell them they can’t achieve what they strive to. He said to work around them.
“I had asked myself, ‘What if I could do this for a living?’” When he decided he could, there was no turning back, despite a number of bumps along the way.
Ferris said his epiphany came in the seventh grade, when as a shy kid he made a large audience laugh with his onstage hi-jinks.
“I realized that’s for me,” Ferris said. “They thought I was funny. That was the beginning of me breaking out of my shell.”
Inspiring guests
Three students in the high school production were buoyed by the Broadway performers’ visit and the theater arts overall.
Kayla Steward, 14, of BHS is playing Rafiki. She said performing has been an awakening for her.
“I am usually very, very, very shy, and I really usually don’t ever talk to anyone,” she said.
Steward said learning the performing arts has broken down social barriers for her.
Emily Maino, 12, of Washington Community School, playing Simba, said practices are long and hard, but also gratifying.
“I enjoy doing them,” she said. “It’s been a real fun experience. I love doing this.”
Kyndal Parks, 11, of Midtown Community School, is playing Scar. She said she was in awe of the two performers who visited.
“The inspiration that JBo (Brown-Orleans) was saying, about never giving up, never letting anything make you feel bad, was great,” Parks said. “He said to keep trying to become something; you will be successful in the end.”
Take your seats
The Bayonne High School Drama Junior will present Disney’s the “Lion King Jr.” at the Bayonne High School auditorium on Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 1 at 2 p.m.
The show is directed by Lori Alexander, Laura Craig, and Taylor Good.
Tickets are $12; $10 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at the door or before the show at bhsdramasociety.com.
The drama society encourages young audience members to come dressed as their favorite Disney characters for the character parade to be held at intermission.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.To comment on this story online visit www.hudsonreporter.com.