Luncheon Performance & Movie Audition

It's been a crazy week. Had so much school work to catch up from missing school last week. I performed Thursday to full luncheon crowd for Fort Bend Friends and Neighbors at Vargos in Houston. I sang 2 songs from the first musical I did, Oliver. Rushed from singing to airport to take a plane to Dallas for movie audition and then back to Houston. Friday morning woke up sick but went to school so could take tests and finish science lab and then came home and crashed. Friday night found out have callback for movie audition so mom drives me to Dallas Saturday evening for audition on Sunday. After audition hurry back home to Houston for 13 cast party at Dave & Busters. Just finished studying for a test tomorrow and getting all the homework I did in the car ready to turn in tomorrow.

Want to say thank you this week to the great crowd at the Fort Bend Friends & Neighbors lunch and to Matt Lemmler for accompanying me on the piano. Also, want to thank my agent for getting me the audition in Dallas and to my mom, sister, her friend and my brother for the Dallas trips this weekend.

Summary of 13/Met the Writers

13 was AMAZING!!!!! Made such great friends with the cast. Played to 5 sold out crowds. Got to meet Jason Robert Brown and Robert Horn and hear what they thought of the show and how they came up with the show to start with. The cast got together at 59 Diner after the last show. Had a good time but hated to leave. I'm going to miss seeing everyone daily and performing in this show.

Sugar Land teens on stage
By VALERIE SWEETEN CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
Sept. 9, 2009, 7:58AM
1 2
SEAN HARDIN

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HAYLEY BEIERMEISTER
• Age: 17

• Community Connection: Sugar Land area resident

• High School: home schooled

• Fun fact: Plays drums, paints

• Quick Quote: “Acting lets me be with other people who are just like me. We can be ourselves around each other”.

SEAN HARDIN
• Age: 13

• Community Connection: Sugar Land area resident

• High School: Logos Prep at 13213 Southwest Freeway

• Fun fact: Plays the piano and guitar, skateboards

• Quick Quote: “Playing Archie has been a fun but challenging role. I spoke to people who work for Muscular Dystrophy Association. They shared videos which help me prepare for my part.”

WANT TO GO?
• What: ”13,” presented by The Academy at TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre

• When: 10 a.m. today and Friday; 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

• Where: Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St. in Houston

• Tickets: Start at $22

• Information: Visit www.tuts.com or call 713-558-8887
Area teens will take the stage in 13, a production by The Academy at Theatre Under the Stars' Humphrey School of Musical Theatre.

Hayley Beiermeister and Sean Hardin, both of Sugar Land, will be in the comedy about coming of age, teen traumas and high school survival.

Roy Hamlin, associate artistic director of TUTS and director of 13, said “We are so honored Music Theatre International and composer Jason Robert Brown have chosen TUTS to premiere the licensed version of this brand-new teen sensation. It speaks to the quality of our local Houston students,” said Hamlin.

Beiermeister has been acting since the age of 7 when she appeared in The Little Princess in Fort Bend Theatre at 2815 North Main St. in Stafford.

She began taking her performing seriously after that one show.

“I was always an outgoing kid. I wanted to express myself. I did community theatres in Stafford and began taking acting and voice lessons,” said Beiermeister.

At 12, she was selected for the All-State Choir at Turning Point Academy in Sugar Land.

Beiermeister expanded her theatrical experience and joined Broadway Bound Dance and Theatre Arts Studio at 10103 Hammerly Blvd.

She recently appeared as Erzulie in Once On This Island and as Roxie in Chicago with Broadway Bound.

Beiermeister is excited about her ensemble role in 13,The Musical.

“I'm really confident this is where I'm supposed to be. This is what I was meant to do,” said Beiermeister, who plans on majoring in musical theater after graduating from her home-school courses.

“I'm really confident this is where I'm supposed to be. This is what I was meant to do,” said Beiermeister, who plans on majoring in musical theater after graduating from her home-school courses.

Hardin said his first acting experience was at the age of 10 when he appeared as Oliver in Oliver! at Fort Bend Theatre.

“It was so much fun to portray someone else's personality. Singing was fun as well,” said Hardin.

Acting agreed with Hardin, 13.

Through 2007 and 2008, Hardin appeared at The Alley Theatre in A Christmas Carol and The Farnsworth Invention and with the Houston Symphony in Green Eggs and Ham.

In 2009, Hardin appeared with Houston Grand Opera in A Midsummer's Night Dream.

He said that musical theater allows him to utilize his skills in acting, dancing and singing.

“This is why I love musical theater. I found that over the years, I've gotten to be good at all these three things,” said Hardin.

Hardin will portray Archie, a boy with Muscular Dystrophy, in 13.

He thinks the audience will find commonality in all the characters.

It's a fun show with a lot of comedy. I hope to make my character real. It's been very exciting,” Hardin said.

13 Opens School Matinee Tomorrow & then Friday

I’ve been in 12 theatre productions and have to say 13 is one of my favorites. The music is great and the show is awesome. I’ve had a lot of fun with this cast. We’ve hung out together at Dave & Busters and other places. Some of us even sang the national anthem at the Dynamo Game. This makes the scenes where we are friends on the show seem more real because we’ve gotten to know each other. I’m the only actual 13 year old in the show but the cast has been great. I can relate to some of the things in the show like Evan planning his party. I had to decide where I should have my big 13th birthday party. I ended up having a laser tag party. It was a big decision where I should have it so I understand why the party place is such a big deal to Evan.

My character in 13 is Archie. He is living with a disabling disease but has such a great sense of humor about it. He laughs at himself to make others feel more comfortable. I don’t have to live with anything as serious as that but being a guy who likes to sing, dance and act can be tough at times because kids will make fun of you and want to know what sport you do or when you’re going to take a break to focus on something like athletics or just hanging out. I won a comedic monologue contest a year ago doing a spin on a bully wanting me to teach him to dance since the school dance was coming up so like Archie I’ve learned to laugh with others about it. That’s a great thing about being in an all teen cast where all of us have tons of the same interests. I know no one will make fun of me for singing or dancing.

I think the parents who see the show will get some insight in to how much pressure there is to fit in at school, make the grade, get a date, etc. For the teens who see the show I hope they’ll see in the end it doesn’t matter how many friends you have but the quality of the friendships you have. My biggest hope is that those who see the show will be nicer to those who seem a little different. I just got to spend some time in California with a girl who had muscular dystrophy like Archie in the show has. Even though she has struggles with upper body movements, she was just like me – likes to sing, swim, laugh and hates homework. It made me appreciate no matter what we look like on the outside, it’s how we act and who we are that counts.

Channel 2 News Story

Special Needs Group Helps Actor
Actor, 13, Plays Boy With Muscular Dystrophy

POSTED: Monday, September 7, 2009
UPDATED: 2:42 pm CDT September 7, 2009

HOUSTON -- Every summer, Theatre Under The Stars reaches out to The River For Performing and Visual Arts to help budding artists with special needs find new ways to express themselves.

FIND IT: The Musical 13 From Tuts


This summer, it's was The River's chance to help give a Tuts actor a leg up on his new role.

On top of learning new songs and fancy footwork with the rest of the cast for Theatre Under The Stars' new musical 13, Shawn Hardin had to learn to do it with Muscular Dystrophy.

"My hands are always sore at the end of every rehearsal," he said. "I have learned it is not as easy as it looks."

Hardin, 13, does not have the disease, but Archie, the character he plays does.

"I had always thought it was just regular walking but it is opposite of that," he said. "I learned they walk on their toes because they don't have enough strength to move their Achilles."

For some extra help learning to be Archie, Hardin turned The River For Performing and Visual Arts.

"We were thrilled to be able to work with him and give him some idea of what it is like to walk in those shoes outside of a stage," said Sandy Wicoff, The River director.

Wicoff said it is usually Tuts lending her group a hand, helping teach children with disabilities and chronic illness how to do anything from making music to dance.

So, The River was more than happy to return the favor.

"These professionals come in and teach the kids the art that they love and it shows and the kids really shine," Susan Hurst said.

Shawn and Susan Hurst talked about what she saw watching her sister struggle with cerebral palsy.

"It is good to give a different perspective, maybe a more personal perspective," Susan Hurst said.

Hardin said that for the role of Archie, it was all about keeping it real.

"Which is why I have done so much research to make sure it doesn't look fake," Hardin said.

For more on the musical 13, which will be held Sept. 10 through Sept. 12 at Zilkha Hall, visit www.tuts.com.

Copyright 2009 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

KPRC Channel 2 News Interview

Today, I along with some people from The River Performing and Visual Arts Center and TUTS had an interview with Channel 2 News to air on Monday, September 7, either on the 5:00 or 6:00 News. We talked about how the people at The River helped me in researching my character in 13 and we talked about the difficulty in walking on crutches and using the wheelchair. I'm hoping it turns out well since the newspeople take all the interviews and blend together for the 1 minute 20 second spot. Everyone was nice today which made it easier to do the interview.