Music Theatre’s family-friendly production brings children’s book ‘Mirette’ to life
Music Theatre Wichita’s family-friendly production this year is familiar to those who were a child or were parents of a child since the early 1990s.
“Mirette” is based on “Mirette on the High Wire,” a 1992 children’s book about a young French wannabe tightrope walker trying to achieve her dreams. It won the Caldecott Medal for author-illustrator Emily Arnold McCully’s artwork.
It was turned into a musical in 1996, composed by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, best known for “The Fantasticks,” “I Do, I Do” and “110 in the Shade.”
Among the first audience members for the production was Wayne Bryan, longtime MTW producing artistic director, who was impressed with the “charming little show.”
Fast-forward to 2021, and Bryan – now producing director of MTW – was seeking a small, family show with a small cast and minimal orchestration for a pandemic-altered season that could be done in a high-quality performance.
“It checked off all the boxes,” said Bryan, who is director and choreographer of “Mirette,” which opens Wednesday in the Century II convention hall. “This seemed to fill all of our expectations.”
The convention hall is a new locale for an MTW mainstage show, after its first 50 seasons close by in Century II’s concert hall. Although the convention hall has a 5,000-person seating capacity, seating will be limited to 1,200. Masks will be required.
Bryan said he wanted simplicity for the set that could still capture the whimsy of the book. He turned to scenic designer Jordan Slusher, working with full-stage projection to create the backgrounds.
“I really tried to take that spirit (from the book) and present it in a more theatrical way,” Slusher said. “We get to spend a lot more time with these characters and these locations.”
Slusher is also using “a little bit of animation” to help capture the perspective of Mirette on the ground, the mid-level wire and the high wire.
“They shouldn’t expect to see real circus acts. It’s more of a story about character development,” Bryan said. “With Jordan, we think you will feel like you’re seeing a real highwire act with Mirette that is satisfying theatrically but doesn’t put anyone in danger.”
Bryan found the title character in Kaitlyn Lemon, a Wichita 13-year-old who began gymnastics when she was 3 and started singing and acting when she was 9.
“There’s a lot of lessons learned in the book, and it transfers into the musical very well,” said Lemon, who will be in eighth grade at Andover Middle School this all.
The prime lesson in her view is to never give up.
“Mirette always wants to keep learning about the wire and she never gives up on having Bellini as a teacher,” she said. Bellini, the father figure who helps her learn how to walk on a tightrope, is played by Michael Dikegoros. “You can always have somebody to help you through.”
Bryan said he was impressed by Lemon’s audition – more so when he saw a video of her walking on a rope between two trees.
Lemon, who wasn’t familiar with the book until she read it before auditions, was thrilled to get the call.
“I was just so excited. I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was thankful and honored to play that role.”
Dikegoros, a MTW veteran from “A Chorus Line,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Chicago” and “Pippin,” said the fact that the show hasn’t had much exposure is exciting to him as a performer.
“So often when we’re working at these wonderful regional theaters like Music Theatre Wichita, we’re recreating shows that have existed in people’s minds for so long. They know what they’re expecting,” he said. “This is a unique experience because it’s not familiar in a lot of people’s brains. We get to put our own stamp on it.”
With the exception of Dikegoros, the entire cast is based in or near Wichita, including Karen Robu as her mother, Timothy Robu as a theatrical impresario, Darcee Datteri as a grand Russian diva, Carter Tholl as an ambitious ballerina, Steve Hitchcock as a sad clown, Will Jewett as an aspiring juggler and Kalene “Koko” Blanton and Darron Hayes as an acrobatic duo. Most of the characters are residents in a “theatrical boarding house” in 1899 Paris run by Mirette’s mother.
Tholl’s role is one that was added to the musical that was not in the book.
“It really is fleshed out into something so much more than that in the book,” she said of the musical.
Music comes from twin grand pianos, played by musical director Chuck Koslowske and Jesse Warkentin.
“It feels light and quite charming,” Bryan said of the score. “It feels appropriate for what we’re doing on this show.”
The musical has already struck a chord with its intended audience – tickets for the Sunday matinee were sold out more than two weeks before the curtain.
“Mirette” by Music Theatre Wichita
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, June 16-20
Where: Century II convention center, 225 W. Douglas
Tickets: $45 for general admission, from mtwichita.org or 265-3107
This story was originally published June 13, 2021 at 4:13 AM.