Children’s Community Theatre of Perry preps for a trip to Arendelle

Children’s Community Theatre’s upcoming production of “Frozen Jr.” may not be as elaborate or high-budget as the Broadway show, but with over 100 hardworking and talented kids in the cast, there will be plenty of Disney magic to go around.   

“We have been rehearsing since Aug. 24, and it’s coming along really well,” said Katie Howard, co-director and co-owner of the troupe. “We have some beautiful special effects with lights and things like that. The kids are working on some light dances, and it’s just really magical. They’re doing a fantastic job.”

While ticket sales help fund the company, Howard praised the show’s designers for working wonders under their small budgets. 

“Our costume ladies are phenomenal. They do a lot of thrifting and things like that to be creative and put little outfits together,” Howard said. “They are a highly gifted team, and so is our set designer, Alexis Schneider. She has a giant machine that can do all these advanced cuts to make all these beautiful things out of cardboard. It looks like a lot has gone into it, but really, it’s just a lot of creative artwork.” 

Howard and fellow director Bobbi Pangborn founded Children’s Community Theatre 10 years ago to provide opportunities for children in their community to participate in the arts. While the company may not be as well known as others in the area, it has plenty of help with funding from sponsors like Nobelia Homes, Legacy Heating and Air, LAFCU, Michigan Farm Bureau and Stifel Wealth Management Group.

“We started when our kids were young, and we said we’d take it one year at a time,” Howard said. “We’ve grown to love it so much. We look forward to the plays, we think about it all year round. It’s just a really neat thing to get to be a part of, and we really love it.”

Their children are now old enough to serve in the crew. Pangborn’s daughters Brynn Pangborn and Jordyn Sawyer are the choreographer and vocal director for “Frozen Jr.,” respectively. Sawyer, a music major at the University of Michigan, also assists with the Rising Stars program, which gives the younger actors in the group opportunities for leading roles.   

CCT puts on three shows per season. Past productions have included “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” Seussical,” “Newsies” and “Anne of Green Gables.” Although most of the shows have been adapted for younger audiences, Howard said the productions are enjoyable for all ages.  

“We look for great music, great choreography, something that’s going to be going to be a lot of fun for the audiences,” she explained. “And we like a good, powerful message that’s going to be inspiring for the kids.”

The cast and crew isn’t limited to Perry residents, Howard noted. Children and adults from Lansing, Grand Ledge and other locations in the area also participate. Rehearsals are held Monday and Thursday evenings at a former church turned studio space in Perry. 

Work will soon begin on CCT’s next show, the kids’ theatrical version of DreamWorks’ “Madagascar.” Directed by Jordyn Sawyer and Alexis Schneider, the show is part of the Rising Stars program, with a more limited cast of students between third and eighth grades. Auditions will be held Nov. 16.

Howard hopes to continue to spread the word about CCT to help attract more participants and audience members.

“We have such a great community. The kids have formed their own little family. It’s a beautiful thing,” Howard said. “Every year, we ask them what their favorite part of being in the show is, and it’s amazing how many of them say things like, ‘The friends I made here,’ ‘The way I’m encouraged here’ or ‘The way I feel like people are rooting for me.’ We look at theater as a tool for kids to learn teamwork, leadership skills and so much more. So, when we hear things like that, it’s truly the best gift to us. That’s why we keep doing it.”