Community theatre is often a family affair, with members of the same family appearing in shows and helping behind the scenes, but this year’s McKinney Summer Musicals’ (MSM) production of “The King & I” is taking this tradition to a whole new level. Twenty members of the fifty member cast are related, according to director/choreographer Kevyn Robertson. Robertson’s own children, Lindsay, now 26, and Travis, now 24, performed in McKinney musical productions for many summers during their younger years. “They have told me that growing up doing shows with was the BEST part of their childhoods.  They looked forward to it every summer, without fail.  The inter-generational contact was invaluable, as they acted, sang, and danced with teens and adults – all people older than they were,” says Robertson.

This year’s family ties include Noelle Chesney as Lady Thiang and daughter Ellen as a Royal Child; Blake Harp as Louis and siblings Hailey and Jonathan as Royal Children; Leslie McWhirter as a Royal Wife and son Sam as a Royal Child; fraternal twins Samantha and Shane Shuma as Royal Children; siblings Meredith and Matthew Vorderbruggen as Royal Children; brothers Tristan Holbein and Cory Saba as Royal Children; Vicki Cravens as a Royal Wife and husband, Mike Cravens, as a Royal Priest and Guard; and John Chunn,  MSM Board Member, as a Royal Priest and Guard and his daughter Erin as a Royal Child.

Most remarkably, all five members of McKinney’s Gattuso family are involved with some aspect of the show. Siblings Max, 18, Jake, 16, and Gracey, almost 8, are playing Lun Tha, Phra Alack, and Princess Ying Yaowalak, respectively. Mother Julie has bravely volunteered to be a “kid wrangler”, and father, Doug, whose busy travel schedule keeps him from performing in the show, is happy with his role as “the kids’ biggest supporter”. According to Julie, “He loves to watch them in all of their extracurricular activities, but watching them on stage gives him great joy!”  The Gattusos even host two cast parties during the musical each summer, giving Doug a chance to share his culinary talents with the very appreciative cast and crew.

Each of the Gattuso siblings has taken a different path to “The King & I”. Max, who plans to be a musical theatre major in college, has performed in a dozen shows in the last three years, including many school productions, community theatre, one at CollinCollege, and one with a professional company.  Jake, a football player, joined in MSM productions primarily to spend time with his older brother, but the experience gave him the confidence to go on to participate in some shows at his high school. After watching her two brothers perform over the past two summers, Gracey was “dying to get on stage with them”.  “She was so excited that this show had ‘little kids’ in it so that she could audition,” says Julie. 

With Max heading off to college this fall, the family realizes that this may be the only show where all three children appear onstage together. “We are very excited to have all three kids in the show, and we will cherish the times that we will have this summer as a family through MSM,” says Julie. “The involvement with MSM has been amazing for the boys.  Working with such a diverse group of professionals has helped them broaden their relationships.  We have been around quite a few productions, but the way Kevyn and Larry (music director Larry Neel) run MSM is very professional and fun at the same time.  We believe that the role models these productions provide have not been matched by any other group. Making a commitment to participate in MSM helps the kids have goals and reach them,” she adds.

Whether you are in the cast or in the audience, “The King & I” is an ideal family show for all ages. Performances will be July 10-12 and 16-19, 2009, at McKinney North High School Theatre.  Additional information about performances and volunteer opportunities can be found at the MSM website at www.mckinneysummermusicals.com.

This production is funded in part by the City of McKinney through a grant from the City of McKinney Arts Commission