‘Princesses’ dance to the music

Elia Powers

She was only 3 years old, going on 4, but that didn’t stop Newport

Beach wunderkind Brooke Thompson from singing along to “The Sound of

Music.”

“When she was younger, she would stand on the table and belt out

‘I am 16, going on 17,’” said Kim Thompson, Brooke’s mother. “She’s

always had an interest in performing. Anytime a movie came on, she

would have the songs memorized.”

A veteran of children’s choruses, dance classes and

Broadway-caliber shows, Brooke, now 13, is making her debut this

month with Broadway On Tour, a nonprofit, all-volunteer community

children’s theater based in Yorba Linda.

Founded in 1988 to give Southern California youth an outlet for

acting outside of school, Broadway On Tour organizes and stages

numerous musical shows every year. Performers are selected through

tryouts and are generally between the ages of 8-18.

The current show, “Twelve Dancing Princesses,” is a children’s

story, based on a Grimm Brothers fairy tale and directed by John

Blaylock.The musical follows the 12 princesses as they disappear each

night. A young solider follows the princesses to an underground

kingdom, where they dance under a hypnotic spell. The soldier foils a

plot by the evil prime minister and takes one of the princesses to be

his bride, said performer Laura Nagle of Long Beach.

Brooke plays one of the princesses, Alicia. A handful of her

classmates at Orange County High School of the Arts also perform in

the 18-person company. Three of her best friends share the stage with

her, which leads to some memorable moments.

“During rehearsal, we have our inside jokes,” Brooke said. “I’ll

be singing, and I’ll glance over, and one of my friends will be

looking at me, making me laugh.”

For Brooke, taking the stage is nothing new. She spent years

performing in shows through the Musical Theater Academy of Orange

County in Irvine. Her resume includes roles in “Joseph and the

Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Charlie and

the Chocolate Factory” -- not to mention playing Brigitta in “The

Sound of Music.”

“She wants to be on Broadway and wants to do musical theater,” Kim

Thompson said. “It’s always been her dream.”

Sixteen-year-old Jenny Powell, a sophomore at the Orange County

High School of the Arts, said she is also interested in an acting

career. Jenny, who plays princess Janicia in the production, has

experience in youth performances of “Cinderella,” “The Little

Mermaid” and “Guys and Dolls.”

Cast members rehearsed for at least 10 hours a week after school

in the weeks leading up to the opening, Powell said, and it was time

well spent.

“It’s a good performance opportunity, and it’s something to do

outside of school,” she said.