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An East Peoria native is taking the stage for one of her last performances next weekend in the family musical “The Secret Garden” at Augustana College.
River Stanford, senior in vocal music education, will play the part of Lily — the deceased aunt of Mary — in the production, which kicks off Friday.
“She’s kind of a caretaker,” Stanford said of her character. “She’s very loved by all the characters and is hanging around to make sure everything is OK.”
The show will be the first collaboration between the Theatre Arts Department and Augustana’s opera company, Opera@Augustana, in 10 years.
“I’ve done a lot of productions with the opera company here, but this is the first performance in conjunction with the theater department,” Stanford said, adding she is very excited to see the finished product. “There are a lot of interesting technical aspects to the show. It should be pretty impressive.”
Jeffrey Coussens, the director of the musical, said the joint effort between the departments will result in a show of very high caliber.
“Musical theater presents a host of challenges that are different from non-musical productions. You need to cast actors who can sing, singers who can act and dancers who can sing and act,”
Coussens said in a press release. “However, meeting these challenges produces great rewards.”
Stanford, who graduated from RD Preus Evangelical Lutheran High School in Peoria in 2006, said she has performed in musicals with Eastlight Theatre, Peoria Players Theatre and Corn Stock Theatre.
Stanford said she is usually cast in a chorus position or as the lead soprano in opera productions. Most recently, she played the part of Lori in “The Tender Land” with Augustana’s opera company.
Once she graduates in May, Stanford will leave the stage and pursue a career in music education.
“I just had some really good music teachers all throughout my schooling,” she said, adding she fell in love with education after student teaching. “I enjoy (teaching) more than being on the stage.”
Performances of “The Secret Garden” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Potter Theatre in Bergendoff Hall, 3701 7th Ave., Rock Island.
Another set of shows will run 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 and 7 and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6.
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for senior citizens, full-time students and children. To order tickets in advance, call the ticket office at 794-7306, or visit www.augustana.edu/x15671.xml.
Stanford encourages people to come out to one of the shows.
“I think it’s a very good family show,” she said. “It’s a familiar story for a lot of people. And the musical is a very good interpretation of the book.”
Stanford is the daughter of Craig and Dawn Stanford of East Peoria.
An East Peoria native is taking the stage for one of her last performances next weekend in the family musical “The Secret Garden” at Augustana College.
River Stanford, senior in vocal music education, will play the part of Lily — the deceased aunt of Mary — in the production, which kicks off Friday.
“She’s kind of a caretaker,” Stanford said of her character. “She’s very loved by all the characters and is hanging around to make sure everything is OK.”
The show will be the first collaboration between the Theatre Arts Department and Augustana’s opera company, Opera@Augustana, in 10 years.
“I’ve done a lot of productions with the opera company here, but this is the first performance in conjunction with the theater department,” Stanford said, adding she is very excited to see the finished product. “There are a lot of interesting technical aspects to the show. It should be pretty impressive.”
Jeffrey Coussens, the director of the musical, said the joint effort between the departments will result in a show of very high caliber.
“Musical theater presents a host of challenges that are different from non-musical productions. You need to cast actors who can sing, singers who can act and dancers who can sing and act,”
Coussens said in a press release. “However, meeting these challenges produces great rewards.”
Stanford, who graduated from RD Preus Evangelical Lutheran High School in Peoria in 2006, said she has performed in musicals with Eastlight Theatre, Peoria Players Theatre and Corn Stock Theatre.
Stanford said she is usually cast in a chorus position or as the lead soprano in opera productions. Most recently, she played the part of Lori in “The Tender Land” with Augustana’s opera company.
Once she graduates in May, Stanford will leave the stage and pursue a career in music education.
“I just had some really good music teachers all throughout my schooling,” she said, adding she fell in love with education after student teaching. “I enjoy (teaching) more than being on the stage.”
Performances of “The Secret Garden” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Potter Theatre in Bergendoff Hall, 3701 7th Ave., Rock Island.
Another set of shows will run 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 and 7 and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6.
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for senior citizens, full-time students and children. To order tickets in advance, call the ticket office at 794-7306, or visit www.augustana.edu/x15671.xml.
Stanford encourages people to come out to one of the shows.
“I think it’s a very good family show,” she said. “It’s a familiar story for a lot of people. And the musical is a very good interpretation of the book.”
Stanford is the daughter of Craig and Dawn Stanford of East Peoria.
