Fighting Chance Productions

Natalee Fera is another newcomer to Fighting Chance Productions, but certainly not new to the Vancouver theatre scene. She played most of the female roles in the long-running hit Tony & Tina’s Wedding and she also appeared a few years back as the Fairy Godmother in Footlight’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. We’re thrilled she’s bring her voice and comic skills to our production of Forbidden Broadway.

What was your first musical theatre experience?

The first musical theatre experience I can think of was when I was 3. My mother put on Annie for my younger sister and I, and we watched it almost every day. It got to the point where we were under 5 years old, and we could recite, sing, and dance the entire movie.

What is your Dream Role?

Since I have already played my dream role, “Lucy” in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, I would love to play one of the Hilton twins in Sideshow, or “Elphaba” in Wicked (like half the musical theatre world), or Lynette Fromme in Assassins. My other dream role will most likely not happen, as it is “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar.

What is the scariest thing you’ll have to do in Forbidden Broadway?

Sing the he Barbra Streisand song, AND make it entertaining…..

What is the best experience you’ve had in the theatre?

Doing shows at Capilano College (now Capilano University) in the Theatre Program. Also, the Musical Theatre class started while I was still at Cap, and learning from Lars Kaario and Gillian Barber was inspiring and was a huge wealth of knowledge.

Do you have any musical theatre role models?

Lea Salonga. Her voice is perfection. I am also very attached to Ethel Merman. When I was younger, I bought a cassette tape (I was pretty young) called “You Sing the Hits of Ethel Merman”. Just saying……don’t be jealous.

If you could go back in time and be a part of any Broadway show which show would it be, who would you play, and why?

It would have been amazing to have been a part of the 1957 live broadcast on CBS of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. It was shot and aired LIVE on TV, just like real theatre, but with no audience. I beleive it was Julie Andrews’ first role, and I would have LOVED to have played either the Fairy Godmother, or be an ugly stepsister alongside Kaye Ballard.

List the four theatrical people you would have around your dinner table in an ideal world.

Cole Porter, Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare, and Stephen Sondheim

If you couldn’t perform, what would you do?

I would be pretty cranky if I couldn’t perform. I would write shows that I couldn’t be in, and then be overly critical of the people in the shows…..muah ha ha ha!

What do you think is missing from the Vancouver theatre scene?

A larger audience of cultured people who appreciate all kinds of theatre, mainstream and off-beat.

Andrea Bailey, a Capilano University Graduate and Monday at Maxine’s regular is a talent to watch and is going to blow it out of the water in Forbidden Broadway. This summer she did double duty in Annie and Rent and just finished a run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat with Footlight Theatre.

What was your first musical theatre experience?
When I was in grade 2 our local high school did a production of Oliver and I dragged my parents to see it multiple times.

What is your Dream Role?
There are too many, but the one I’ve had for the longest time would have to be Roxy Heart in Chicago

What is the scariest thing you’ll have to do in Forbidden Broadway?
An accurate Liza Minnelli impression :Z

What is the best experience you’ve had in the theatre?
There’s too many! One that sticks out in my mind is Patrick Street Production’s The Full Monty. I’ve never laughed and cried in the same show. Another one was hearing my Mom tell me how proud she was after seeing Rent.

Do you have any musical theatre role models?
Not specifically. I admire the people who never let negative criticism bother them, and the people who never take no for an answer!

If you could go back in time and be a part of any Broadway show which show would it be, who would you play, and why?
Ugh. Maybe Sweeney Todd as Mrs Lovett, a show big enough to launch my career to stardom but with a challenging character who still provides some comedic relief.

List the four theatrical people you would have around your dinner table in an ideal world.
Liza Minnelli – so she could teach me to be like her! Shakespeare – to find out if he really did write all his plays, Madeline Kahn – to bask in the glow of her comedic genius, and Stephen Sondheim – because I missed seeing him while he was in Vancouver.

If you couldn’t perform, what would you do?
Teach. And I don’t mean that in a negative way, considering I’m in this show with three of them…

What do you think is missing from the Vancouver theatre scene?
Money!

Aaron is one of those “man about town” performers that you see in tons of shows. Most recently he’s appearing in High School Musical 2 with URP and before that he was seen this summer in Thoroughly Modern Millie at Theatre Under the Stars. We’re thrilled he’s making his Fighting Chance debut with Forbidden Broadway. We asked him some musical theatre type questions…. his responses should delight you!

What was your first musical theatre experience?
Playing in the pit orchestra in Oliver! for Earl Marriot Secondary in White Rock.  The funny part was that I wasn’t even a student there.

What is your Dream Role?
Attainable Dream Role: Usnavi from In The Heights with Benny in a very close second.
Actual Dream Role (cause I know it’ll never happen): Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. I’ve been rocking that Valli Falsetto since high school. I just look absolutely nothing like Frankie, and I know that.

What is the scariest thing you’ll have to do in Forbidden Broadway?
If my assumptions are correct, I think it’ll be the fat suit I’d have to wear performing as Travolta in the Hairspray spoof.

What is the best experience you’ve had in the theatre?
Having had the chance to work with some of my childhood idols, and Canadian performing arts legends.

Do you have any musical theatre role models?
Norbert Leo Butz cause he’s just overall a great performer.

If you could go back in time and be a part of any Broadway show which show would it be, who would you play, and why?
It’d have to be Ching-Ho in the 2002 Tony Award Winning Thoroughly Modern Millie because then, I’d use that to further a career on Broadway, instead of making it a one-show gig like the guy who originated the role.

List the four theatrical people you would have around your dinner table in an ideal world.
Stephen Sondheim, Steven Schwartz, Oscar Hammerstein & Jason Robert Brown. Could you imagine the result of all their combined creative juices???

If you couldn’t perform, what would you do?
Honestly, I can’t answer that question.  Personally, I don’t think I could *not* perform!

What do you think is missing from the Vancouver theatre scene?
I think we don’t have enough paid opportunities for musical theatre performers. On the same note, we also need more people in Vancouver to fully support the arts so that we have more of those chances to be offered to us.