“Put yourself out there, because many opportunities can come with that.”
by Patheresa Wells
The Teen Summer Musical (TSM) has been a Seattle institution for over 25 years, providing an opportunity for young performers of color to share their theatrical talents with the community. This year’s family-friendly show, Dream!, runs Aug. 18–27, 2023, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
“It is our hope that Dream! will remind an audience that it’s never too late for dreams to come true. Settling for less than your dream can be the difference between happiness and contentment,” said Michelle Lang-Raymond, executive director of Acts On Stage Theatre.
The Teen Summer Musical is an institution in Seattle. For many years Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center and Teen Summer Musical director Isiah Anderson worked with dozens of young people over eight to 10 weeks every summer to create a world class, large-scale musical production. In 2019, performances of Uncle Willy’s Chocolate Factory played to full houses at Benaroya Hall and included 60 young people performing amazing choreography and singing incredible original music. In 2020, there was no Teen Musical. Like most annual events it was canceled due to COVID-19.
Isiah Anderson, the director of the Teen Summer Musical “Story of an Off-Brand Band,“ rehearses at the Acts on Stage Theatre on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Photo: Susan Fried)
The Teen Summer Musical has returned for 2021, though in an abbreviated form. This year’s production is made possible by Acts On Stage, The Voices Project, the Associated Recreation Council, and Seattle Parks and Recreation. Fifteen young people between 12 and 18 years old will be dancing and singing in an original musical Story of an Off-Brand Band written by Michelle Lang-Raymond and adapted and directed by Isiah Anderson, with original music by Lang-Raymond and musical director Cedric Thomas. About half of the cast and many of the staff have either performed in or were a part of the crew in past Teen Musical productions. By the first performance of this year’s musical, the cast and crew will have put in 5 weeks of hard work, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the Acts on Stage Theatre space in White Center, co-founded by Michelle Lang-Raymond and Isiah Anderson.
