Local youth will ‘make ’em laugh’ in production of ‘Singin’ in the Rain Jr.’ this weekend in Rexburg

REXBURG — Summer theatre camp isn’t just about putting on a show. It’s about community, friendship, tradition, and being part of something special. For the cast of “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.,” months of anticipation and preparation will all come together this weekend as they perform the classic, beloved musical in Rexburg.

Some of the 55 cast members are new to the group this summer while others have been performing on the Romance Theater stage together for four summers in a row. They’ve built strong bonds with fellow performers, and they think their production will exceed the crowd’s expectations for “junior” theater. They’ll perform this Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Romance Theater at 2 East Main Street in Rexburg. Tickets are available at tetonriverarts.org and seating is reserved.

“Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” tells the story of silent film stars who are thrown into a new world of talking pictures. The Romance Theater itself transitioned from Vaudeville to talking pictures, so this show presents a unique opportunity to take advantage of the authentic theater setting.

Kaatia Larsen returns for a fourth year as director of the camp, produced for the first time this summer by Teton River Arts & Commerce. East Idaho theatre standout and Idaho Falls native Ian Hart traveled from his main gig at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah, to return as the camp’s choreographer, joined by longtime dance teacher and Rexburg theatre veteran Kierstena Rolfson. The kids have also been guest coached by Kara Peterson, who was a member of the original Broadway cast of Disney’s “Newsies: The Musical.”

Auditions were held at the beginning of May, so the cast has been practicing their lines and music on their own since then. Peter Robins plays the zany Cosmo Brown, movie star Don Lockwood’s best friend and film industry colleague. Robins is a veteran of the camp and was thrilled to be chosen as a lead character this summer.

“When I got the call, I remember being so, so excited,” Robins says. “I was jumping around the room. I remember my friends were there, and they were all hyping me up.”

Robins says the role is a good fit for his own personality.

“I like his silliness, because I’m a very outgoing, fun person, which helps me play his character a lot better,” Robins says.

Summer theatre camp is a family affair for Reese Ririe, joining the cast for her second summer alongside her sister and a cousin. She’s looking forward to putting on a show that the audience will remember.

“The dance numbers are really fun and upbeat,” she says. “It’s a high-energy show, so I think it will be really fun. You know, when you walk out of a theater, and you have that energy from the movie that you watched? I want the audience to feel that when they come.”

Beka Kazeck has done kids’ theatre camp before, but at 12, this is the first year she’s old enough to join the older youth group. She says that making friends is her favorite part of camp, but telling the classic story of “Singin’ in the Rain” is pretty exciting, too.

“I never really watched the movie until my mom showed it to me,” Kazeck says. “I like how there’s romance, and there’s comedy and DUH-RAMA! But I also figured out some things from my mom. My mom taught me that the people who played Kathy and Don actually did not like each other. They had to kiss, and they didn’t even like each other!”

Peyton Murray, a four-year camp veteran, says she keeps coming back because she loves to make the audience feel something.

“I love to bring the stories that everybody loves to life, and to showcase emotion through singing and dancing,” she says. Murray says the intense two-week camp is exciting because everything progresses so quickly. “We do so much in such little time that the progression of it is obvious.”

Larsen says she’s drawn back to directing theatre camp each summer because of the impact the program has on the kids.

“I absolutely adore working with youth, and it’s been such a gift to get to teach, guide, encourage, and help provide this incredible opportunity for so many,” she says. “Getting to be a part of their journey, and have a small but important influence for good, positivity, and light is an exceptional honor. The epic team I get to work with is also a huge draw. When you put these magnificent kids together with the best production crew in the world, everyone’s desire to connect, share stories, and not put limits on what is possible results in pure magic.”

Larsen sets a high bar for performance standards in her productions, but she says camp is about so much more than the show.

“These kids get to learn all about themselves and each other, discover new skills and abilities, develop courage and camaraderie, increase in confidence and resilience, acquire better communication, empathy, and understanding, recognize and apply ways to problem solve, work as a team, listen, focus, and more,” she says. “It’s so important in their young lives and shapes them into who they are meant to be.”

Larsen says the audience should expect an immersive, fresh take on the classic story.

“Singin’ in the Rain is a musical that other musicals have been measured by for decades, and we are so excited to get to bring its legendary characters, songs, and moments to Rexburg,” she says. “We’ve got huge dance numbers (including tap!), shimmering costumes, fabulously talented singers, dancers, and actors, impressive sets, fun props and accessories (many of which the campers helped create), and a ton of high-energy, thrillingly fun scenes.”

The production will also have exciting lighting effects designed by Rick Robinson of The Robinson Family Light Show. Robinson puts on a spectacular light show for the community every Christmas season and is lending his skills to the theatre this summer.

As a performer herself, Larsen has utilized connections with several other east Idaho theatre companies to elevate this production of “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” She has gathered set pieces, props, costumes, and even guest coaches from various area theatre companies, including Bright Star Productions, Center Stage Theatre and Stage Door Repertory Theatre.

“This is one of my favorite things about theatre,” Larsen says. “The principle to help each other create and then turn around and give it away as a gift to others is incalculable.

The production is made possible by generous sponsorships from Grand Peaks Community Health Center, Real Estate Two70, Taylor Ballard Insurance, Overhead Door Company of Eastern Idaho, and others. Teton River Arts & Commerce is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2024 with the goal of supporting, promoting, and creating arts opportunities in the Rexburg area. For more information, visit tetonriverarts.org.