From left, Karly Dummons, Kelsie Gradney, Jerry Milton III, Elise Bureau and Brooklynn Jackson will dance to ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ in Of Moving Colors’ ‘Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment.’
A lineup of pop, Motown and Broadway and Hollywood musical numbers paired with a cast of young community dancers — what’s not to like?’
The combination has always been a winning formula for Of Moving Colors’ annual “Kick It Out” production, which returns for two performances on the Manship Theatre stage at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Expect lots of costumes and glitz as kids between ages 5 and 17 join the company’s professional dancers to the sounds of such singers as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Bill Withers.
“This is a fun show that wasn’t even canceled during COVID,” Artistic Director Garland Goodwin Wilson said. “We were originally going to do it as a digital project when everything shut down, but we had so many parents that wanted to do it live, we adapted.”
The company starts rehearsing with its child cast in October. During the pandemic, these sessions took place either outdoors or on Zoom.
“We also staged that year’s show at Dunham instead of the Manship, because the Brown-Holt Theatre at Dunham was bigger, which allowed us to better spread out the audience to better comply with the COVID restrictions at that time,” Wilson said. “But the production has never stopped.”
As in past productions, “Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment” will feature children from throughout the Baton Rouge area. Each participant is required to pay tuition, with fully paid and partial scholarships provided for economically disadvantaged dancers.
Rehearsals culminate in a 90-minute program of full theatrical numbers ranging from the Andrews Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” to Otis Redding’s “Pain in My Heart.”
Community dancers ages 5-17 from throughout Baton Rouge will join Of Moving Colors’ company dancers on the Manship Theatre stage on Feb. 4 for ‘Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment.’
“We’re also bringing back our popular dance number to ‘A-Tisket, A-Tasket,’ and the entire cast will come together to dance to ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business,'” Wilson said. “Also, this year will be different in that we’ll be featuring a lot of solo numbers performed by members of our professional company.”
As in past “Kick It Out” shows, dance numbers are choreographed by Wilson, Bethany Jones McCullough and Courtney Landry. In the lineup of company dancers will be Cassandra Soniat-Boyd, Cayla Cole, Julian Guillory, Lauren Hebert, McCall Hundley, Hannah Knoff, Alyssa Rainey and Gabrielle Thibodeaux.
The program also will include original poetry composed and performed by Chancelier “xero” Skidmore, who premiered the company-commissioned piece at the 2020 “Kick It Out.”
Of Moving Colors company dancers Hannah Knoff, left, and Lauren Hebert will performing in ‘Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment’ on Saturday in the Manship Theatre.
Finally, Wilson can’t talk about this year’s “Kick It Out” without highlighting a special dancer in the cast of kids.
“For one dancer, this year has been special, for Allison Riley and for her mother Rachel,” Wilson said. “Allison’s a young dancer that grew up — and is still — in the program. She dances with her group and has a sweet petite duet with Major Matassa, but in the final dance of the performance will join the professionals for the first time.”
Riley also helps her mother make the kids’ costumes come to life.
Of Moving Colors’ annual community production, “Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment” returns to the stage for two performances at 4 p.m. and …
“Mrs. Riley partnered as one of the kids’ costume designers with company staff member Emma Granier, who is also manager of the ‘Kick It Out’ project,” Wilson said. “Allison is helping them. For the many hours Mrs. Riley has offered working on costumes this year and in years past, she will be honored with one of OMC’s most prestigious awards, the Prism Award, for her work on the costumes.”
The Prism Award is presented for artistic excellence, philanthropy and community service.
“The award for Mrs. Riley’s work is well deserved,” Wilson said.
Veda Barlow, from left, Jerry Milton III and Kelsie Gradney strike a pose from their ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ dance in Of Moving Colors’ ‘Kick It Out.’
As the show approaches, Wilson’s excitement builds.
“There’s a feeling of great anticipation for me when we start putting the show together each year,” she said. “’Kick It Out’ provides our city with a much needed evening of great music, fun dances and pure unadulterated entertainment. The professionals are top-notch, and the children are precious. It’s definitely a performance not to be missed.”
‘Kick It Out … That’s Entertainment’
Of Moving Colors’ annual production featuring a community cast of young dancers.
4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St.
$13-$35.
(225) 344-0334 or manshiptheatre.org.
