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With song and dance, they'll take Manhattan
Young performers will put on an ambitious show set in New York City.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published June 16, 2006
With a cast of more than 300 and up to 1,000 costumes, Big City Dreams promises to be one big-time show. It's the year-end production by Sell's Broadway Dance Company, a dance studio owned by former Broadway touring company dancers Chris and Shanna Sell. "We have a story about a little girl whose dream is to dance on Broadway," Chris Sell said. As the girl, played by 10-year-old Alexis Romano, makes her way through New York City, she's backed by groups of the singers and dancers from the school. "We take the audience on a tour of NYC,'' Sell said, adding that the big opening number is NYC from the musical Annie. "They sing and dance their way to all the famous sights of New York." That includes the Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center and several famous ballet venues. "We have a double-decker bus for our sightseeing," Sell said. In another scene, 20 young dancers spin and whirl through a maze of 10 yellow taxicabs. "It's amazing; it's a major project and major sets, and we're really proud of it," Sell said. The show has segments of ballet, lyric dance, tap, jazz, hip-hop - "every form of dance is in there," Sell said. The show has two acts and is about two to 2? hours long. "We treat it like a musical song-and-dance show, Broadway style," Sell said. Shanna Sell's brother, New York singer-dancer Michael Ursua, is flying in to help with lighting and sets. Ursua, who along with his sister got his start at Richey Suncoast Theatre several years ago, just completed a tour as a lead dancer with Disney Cruise Lines. He recently signed a contract to write for Disney shows as well as appear in them, Sell said. The Sells and their assistant, Heather Osarczuk (pronounced Ozer-chuck), a Rockette at Radio City, are not appearing in the show. "We really believe the show is all about the children. We do the production and make them the stars," Sell said. infobox: If you go WHAT: Big City DreamsWHERE: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, 13652 Hayes Road, Hudson (off State Road 52, 1 mile west of the Suncoast Parkway)WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday and ThursdayTICKETS: $13, reserved seating. Call (727) 376-2600.
[Last modified June 16, 2006, 04:25:07]
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