Two Organizations: One Happy Home

Young voices performing songs from Disney’s Aladdin KIDS could be heard throughout the first floor of Whitney Place Assisted Living Center in Natick, MA.The audience? Whitney Place residents.The performers?Whitney Place’s new tenant, Natick Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).A theatre program for kids ages 5 – 18, NAPA offers an array of programs all centered around music, dance, musical theatre, voice, improv, acting and so much more.And with their new space at Whitney Place, NAPA has a built in, enthusiastic and passionate audience to share their talent with- the Whitney Place residents and staff.

“We couldn’t be happier with our new arrangement,” said NAPA founder and Natick resident Holly Chin.“It has been such a challenge over the past several years to find a suitable space for the mix of rehearsals, voice lessons, and performances NAPA holds year round.Finding Whitney Place is such a gift for our students and we hope for the Whitney Place community.The potential is limitless as we begin to build our intergenerational relationship.”

According to Chin, NAPA was able to transform space on the first floor of the Whitney Place campus into a viable, nurturing and exciting place for students to learn, practice and perform.“Sing alongs, dance performances, and previews of our main stage productions are just a few of the ways we are interacting with the community,” revealed Chin.“The resident are an incredibly enthusiastic audience and we are grateful to be able to share the students’ talents with them.”

The NAPA space is directly across the hall from Whitney Place’s auditorium, making it easy for students to visit with residents and provide entertainment.“When we performed, it made me so happy to see how happy it made the people in the audience,” said Natick 6^th grader Emily Springer, who played the lead role of ‘Aladdin.’

With vacation theater programs, year-round voice lessons, and full scale musical productions such as Shrek KIDS, Heathers, and Legally Blonde Jr. which feature dozens of talented students, opportunities to perform at Whitney Place are plentiful and much anticipated.Donna Tronec, a resident at Whitney Place and a theater kid herself, said, "I enjoyed the performance so much and could not believe how talented and professional the children were- especially at their young age. I can see them being successful in performing later in life!"

NAPA’s new residency at Whitney Place has already had a tremendous impact on the community, revealed Rachel Coveney and Iva Philbin of the management team at Whitney Place."The Holly Chin Natick Academy of Performing Arts has brought our SALMON and Natick community an incredible amount of joy. There's an energy and connection in the building that is truly contagious and our residents feel it every day."

For information about upcoming NAPA performances, classes and workshops, visit www.napastage.org.

About Natick Academy of Performing Arts

The Holly Chin Natick Academy of Performing Arts harnesses the transformational power of the performing arts to unite and inspire Natick and surrounding communities by providing a safe and accepting home for aspiring artists of all ages.

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