FORT SILL, Okla., July 14, 2016 -- Two "military brats" from Fort Sill have prominent roles in the Lawton Community Theatre's production of "Rats" this weekend, a charming re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Leann Bailey, 12, plays Pennywinkle, a village girl who tries to get the Mayor to solve the rat problem in the town of Hamelin. Nathan Cook, 16, is the Pied Piper who lures the darling little rats away, ostensibly into the river. The production is only 35 minutes long, but it's one that will likely stretch your smile muscles the entire time. With 29 youngsters ages 7 to 17, some catchy tunes and snazzy choreography, it's sure to engage youngsters and jaded adults alike.
Bailey attends Central Middle School in Lawton and is the daughter of Col. James Bailey, training capabilities manager of the Brigade Combat Team Fires, and Heather Bailey, a clinical registered nurse at Reynolds Army Community Hospital.
Cook is a Lawton High student, and his parents are Col. Nathan Cook II, 75th Field Artillery Brigade commander, and Traci Cook. He appeared in "Seussical the Musical" in Virginia, when he was in eighth grade, as well as several other musicals. His mother had been a drama teacher and his father was in a few high school musicals, he said.
Hammers pounded and power screwdrivers screeched in the background as the colorful sets were erected in time for the first dress rehearsal, July 11. Bailey and Cook found they had a lot in common as we talked. Both play the violin, and they admire a young violinist named Lindsey Stirling. Bailey also appeared in "Seussical the Musical" at age 6 with her older sister when the family was stationed in North Carolina.
In high school Bailey's dad was voted "most dramatic," but she has a hard time envisioning that because he's "Mister Tough Guy" now, she said. She said her mom is "this crazy, outgoing, loving parent. She's just silly and a lot of fun. She was the one who got me into (this play)."
Bailey said the half dozen rats are among the stars of the show.
"I want to be a rat," she said, her blue eyes twinkling. "They're so adorable. They have these little ears on, their little noses are painted, they have these cute little eyeliners on."
Cook says he's a "kinesthetic learner" so the hands-on part of acting triggers the spoken part. He also enjoys musical theory and says in musicals, singing forwards the plot, not replaces it. He said he wants to see the Broadway hit "Hamilton" and has the soundtrack memorized. One of the songs in that play, "Meet Me Inside" impressed Cook as "a more expressive and a more entertaining way of having a conversation."
On the subject of forefathers, Bailey said one of her great, great, great-ish grandfathers Samuel Chase signed the Declaration of Independence, right under John Hancock's signature.
Cook does a lot of hiking and biking in his free time, especially now that "Pokémon Go" is out. That is a much ballyhooed computerized app that combines virtual and real world hunts for the fictional Pokémon creatures. "It's gotten me outside a lot more," he said.
He also skateboards on his longboard named "Buffy" from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
"It came to me in a dream so I had to do it," he said.
Rehearsals lasted four weeks, and Cook and Bailey say that a lot of sweat and tears went into learning their parts. Cook jokes (sort of) they were "stress tears, happy tears, sad tears, angry tears, the whole spectrum of tears." They laughed.
After the dress rehearsal, director Kristoffer Pendergraft sprinkled praise with critique as he encouraged the young actors to not cut their applause short by walking off the stage before their songs were done, or moving out of the stage lights in front.
"Rats," he said to the youngsters wearing mouse ears, "your lines are really, really funny, but be just a little louder." He encouraged them all to be bold and confident in their delivery. "If you believe in it, the audience will believe in it, to. Oh, and the rats do live happily ever after. Just not in Hamelin.
Performances are July 15, 7 p.m.; July 16, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and July 17, 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and the seats are first-come, first served. The theater is located at 1316 NW Bell Ave. The box office opens 45 minutes prior to each show, or call 580-355-1600 to reserve tickets.
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