JENNIFER MAHAL -- In The Wings

Slowly, very slowly, the nominations for local artisans who should be

profiled in this column are trickling in. And when I say slowly, I mean

I’ve seen molasses move quicker.

Honestly, people. There must be more than one artist, writer, singer,

painter, poet, sculptor, filmmaker or any other creative mind in

Newport-Mesa who should be recognized.

In fact, a local band that had been unaware of this column just

called to tell me about themselves and an upcoming concert. Thus, “In the

Wings” will appear again next week.

Only two weeks of writing this bi-weekly column and I’m already

breaking my own rules. I’ll try not to let that happen too often.

But while I’m at it, this week’s artist in the wings is actually a new

program designed for children who want to learn performing arts.

Last weekend, the Adderley School for the Performing Arts held an

informational meeting about its plans to open a facility in Newport

Beach. The school, run by acting coach and Broadway veteran Janet

Adderley, teaches children ages 3 to 17 all about musical theater.

Adderley’s exposure to theater started when her mother enrolled her

extremely shy brother in a theater class to help him build

self-confidence. It worked so well that she enrolled all of her children

in the class.

Adderley is the only one who pursued theater as a career path. Her

brother is a Harvard-trained surgeon and her sister is a minister.

It was Adderley’s role as Molly Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz that

hooked her. She attended a performing arts high school, then went to

Yale, where she earned a degree in American studies.

After Yale came Broadway, where she worked in “Starlight Express” and

other musicals. The movie bug bit and she moved herself and her two

daughters to California.

She started teaching dance and musical theater to children in part

because she wanted to find a program for her own kids. The school she

started in Pacific Palisades now has around 300 children and adults

enrolled.

Classes meet once a week after school and after 13 weeks, the children

perform an abridged musical -- one that has been sanitized so it is

age-appropriate.

“Trust me, we had 5-year-olds doing ‘Grease,’ ” Adderley said. “Rizzo

did not have the same dilemma she had in the movie.”

The performances will be open for anyone to attend. Everyone who wants

a principal part gets one in Adderly’s musicals. Not enough songs in

“Annie Get Your Gun”? That’s OK. Adderley will add one.

“The first thing is to have a genuine love of children,” Adderley

said. “Then you can do anything.”

Students from the Palisades school performed for the open house.

The children’s voices and dancing skills were impressive, but the

self-possession of each of the girls singing was remarkable.

Even when one precocious 7-year-old got lost during the witch’s song

in “Into the Woods,” the child trooped on with a smile. And Adderley

coached her through it, shouting out cue lines when necessary.

“Breath of life. Remember to breathe. It’s not that deep,” she says.

Those words have become a mantra for Adderley. One that she repeats to

the children again and again.

“Life is hard. It’s a challenge,” she said. “That’s the job of an

artist. You’re faced with difficulty, but it’s not that deep.”

No parents are allowed in class or at rehearsals. Only at the final

performances are mothers and fathers present.

“We want kids to fly,” Adderley said. “If the moms are sitting there,

it defeats the whole purpose of it.”

The skills learned in classes translate to other parts of the

children’s lives.

Kate Friedman-Siegel, 11, nearly knocked the house down with her

spirited rendition of “You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun” from “Annie Get

Your Gun.”

Kate’s mother, Kim Friedman, was so impressed with the quality of

Adderley’s teaching that she’s taking time away from her television

directing career to help Adderly open the Newport Beach school.

“Every kid at my daughter’s school that goes to the Adderly School

wins the student council election,” Friedman said. “They all win.”

Adderley plans to start the Newport school by teaching each class

herself. Eventually, other teachers will be brought in. Class sizes will

be between 15 and 20 students.

While the school does not have a location secured just yet, Adderly

plans to start classes in January.

Another informational meeting is planned for Nov. 19. Call (949)

451-4640 for time and location.

* JENNIFER MAHAL is features editor of the Daily Pilot. She can be

reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected] , by fax at (949)

646-4170 or by sending information to 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa CA

92627.