Crofton Kids Ready to Kick Off 'Can-Can' Musical

The amazing 22-member teenage Talent Machine cast began final rehearsals of Cole Porter's Can-Can at St. John's College Key Auditorium on Saturday.  What I observed in an hour of rehearsal convinces me that this show will fully meet the high standards established by Talent Machine for producing professional quality shows.

The first thing to realize is Talent Machine teens have more raw talent, sheer energy, and discipline than most other local groups.  The second thing is their directors and choreographers know how to spot raw talent and mold it to near perfection. This is a Talent Machine tradition dating back to its founding in 1987 by Bobbi Smith, whose legacy is carried on by her daughter Lea Capps, who directs the current show and by Bobbi's sister Vicki Smith, who is this show's choreographer.

Together Capps and Smith along with music director Dennis Blair will showcase their teen cast in Cole Porter's 1953 musical Can-Can set in 1890s Bohemian Paris where a zest for love and life reigns. This lovely philosophy is expressed in Porter's score that includes the timeless “I Love Paris,” “C'est Magnifique” and “It's All Right With Me.”<

In addition to finding spectacular young talent brilliantly showcased in entertaining Broadway shows, audiences can count on being  dazzled by the astonishing Can-Can dance performance exhibiting flexibility, superb training, power, stamina, and youthful exuberance when executing high kicks, leaps and synchronized falls that land in perfect splits - all completed with military precision.

These fabulous can-can dancers include from Annapolis -  Anna Hanley and Layne Seaman; from Edgewater - Samantha Blonder; from Crofton - Lucy Bobbin, Jordan Burch-Page, Morgan Gingerich, Danielle Greco, and Molly Maloy; from Mitchellville - Tabitha Thornhill; from Severna Park - Evan Bradley-Lewis, Ali Musser, Kara Overton, and Grace Sayers.<

Standouts in this stellar Can-Can line were tall, terrific Andrew Gordon of Crofton who executed smooth skyscraping kicks, and in the lead role of Claudine, Tabi Thornhill easily delivered high flights that landed in perfect splits.  Tabi is from a family line of amazing Thornhill dancers, while Andrew informed us that he has been dancing only about three years, adding that he loves dancing and hopes to follow a stage career.

In Talent Machine's 22-member Can-Can cast, two are from Annapolis - Anna Hanley who plays a model and Layne Seaman, and here we might add Samantha Blonder of Edgewater (daughter of Lea Capps and Bobbi Smith's granddaughter).  Of the five cast members from Severna Park, the two who are not can-can dancers are Evan Bradley-Lewis playing an artist and Billy Luzier, a member of the ensemble.  Twelve are from Crofton and Gambrills with Ben Abbott playing an artist, Madeleine Raley playing Pistache, and Sim Rivers playing Boris.

Other leading roles are played by Keith Tuttle of Bel Air who is cast as Aristide, and Caleb Williams of Severn who is Hillaire. 

Four performances of TMC's Can-Can production are scheduled August 5 - 7 and four more August 11 - 14.  Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children age 7 and under and for groups of 20 and can be ordered online at talentmachine.com or by phone at 410-956-0512.