'The Secret Garden' ready to bloom at Corn Stock

There was a time that Pam Orear didn’t think “The Secret Garden” would stage well under the tent at Corn Stock Theatre.

Now, with the musical ready to open Friday at 7:30 p.m., she is happy she agreed to direct it in the unique tent venue in Upper Bradley Park.

“Originally, I wasn’t sure about doing it at Corn Stock because of the set I originally wanted to have. But I completely restaged it and I’ve changed my mind about it. It has turned out to be a great venue for this musical,” she said.

“The story is so subtle, with a lot of emotional moments. You can see so much of what they are feeling on their face when you are that close to the performers. Because of that, the intimacy is really nice,” she added.

“The Secret Garden” is based on the 1911 novel of the same name written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical’s book and lyrics were written by Marsha Norman and music is by Lucy Simon.

The musical tells the story of Mary Lennox, a young English girl who is orphaned at age 11 and sent to live with relatives she has never met. She brings new life to that family as well as to a neglected garden.

Songs from the show include “There’s a Girl,” “I Heard Someone Crying,” “Lily’s Eyes,” “Lift Me Up,” and “How Could I Ever Know.”

While the songs themselves may not be as well known as songs from other musicals, Orear said it is the music that drew her to “The Secret Garden.”

“I have always loved the score. It is so masterfully crafted. And I loved the story of The Secret Garden before I ever heard the music. So, as an artists, I always wanted to put it on stage,” she said.

For the second time in three years, Corn Stock has brought in a professional actor who got his start in Peoria to perform in one of its summer offerings. Two years ago, Steve Vinovich starred in “The Foreigner.”

This time, Bart Shatto, a native and graduate of Bergan High School and a professional actor with several Broadway credits, will portray Archibald Craven. He was recruited by Orear, who after seeing “The Secret Garden” on Broadway knew she wanted to direct Shatto in the show.

“He is a professional, but he is also very humble. He’s warm, he’s excited to be here working on this show with this wonderful cast. Bart doesn’t see himself as any better than anybody else and the cast doesn’t treat him any differently than anybody else. They all have worked very hard together to make this a wonderful show, and it is,” Orear said.

She wanted Shatto because several pieces in the show are lyrical, almost operatic, and she knew he could handle the music. “It is difficult music, which may be one reason it isn’t done in community theatre very often,” she said.

“But I’ll tell you, there is not a weak link in this cast. I knew every character must be played by a strong singer and I got lucky. There are a lot of trained, beautiful voices in this show. We have a lot of young talent,” Orear said.

 Other performers include Faustina Hoerdeman, making her Corn Stock debut as the young Mary Lennox. Katie Speiden portrays Lily, Kaden Micklos is Colin Craven, Holly Haines is Martha, Tyler Smith is Dickon, and veteran actor Mike Reams portrays Dr. Neville Craven, the character who is most unliked in the play. “And nobody does unlikeable better than Reams,” laughed Orear.

“All of these actors capture their characters so beautifully. I couldn’t be happier,” she added.

Other performers include local stage veterans Helen Engelbrecht, Gene Bourke, Bob Parkhurst, Pauline Parkhurst, Aaron Elwell and Jenny Parkhurst.

The dream dancers are Sophie Challacombe, Randee Blickenstaff and Sydney Abdnour.

Tamra Challacombe, a local dance and ballet instructor, choreographed the show and Andrea Molina, a professional musician Orear got to know through Bradley University, is the music director and conductor of the 10-piece orchestra. “She is a skilled musician who understands voice. The cast has learned much from her,” she said.

Orear designed the set and lighting herself. “You will see that I used isolated lighting and character color symbolism to tell the story. Without big sets and a large acting arena, this seemed the most creative way to do this,” she said.

“The Secret Garden” run Friday through July 18, starting at 7:30 p.m. each performance. Tickets are on sale at the Corn Stock box office for $20 for adults and $15 for students. They can be purchased online at www.cornstocktheatre.com or ordered by calling 676-2196.

Bart Shatto returns home from Broadway to perform at Corn Stock

Imagine being more than 25 years into a successful career as a musical theatre performer, only to come home to Peoria to find the toughest musical score you’ve worked on to date.

That’s why Bart Shatto, the Peoria native and veteran of Broadway and film, is working on making his already-outstanding tenor voice even stronger. He wants to do his best for the Corn Stock Theatre audiences who watch him perform in “The Secret Garden,” which opens next week under the tent in Upper Bradley Park.

“I just want it to be good, you know? We’re here for one common goal,” Shatto said referring to the show and his cast mates. “We are passionate about this show and we want it to do the best we can.”

Shatto is 50 and has performed some of the best music anywhere, including on Broadway as Valjean in “Les Miserables.” But it is just recently he began a voice training technique to improve the asset that got him where he is today, his singing voice.

“This is the perfect time in my life to do this show. Vocally, this is the hardest I have ever worked and it is the best I’ve ever sung. I feel like, after all this time, I’m really finding my voice. And it’s a good thing, too; this is the most difficult score I’ve ever worked on. I feel so lucky to be doing it,” Shatto said before a recent rehearsal.

He is here for “The Secret Garden” on a special guest star contract, required by Actor’s Equity Union for its members to perform in non-professional theatre. His appearance was arranged by Pam Orear, who is directing the show at Corn Stock.

When Orear was offered the show and accepted it, her first call was to Shatto. The reason was that the two of them discussed it 10 years ago, when Shatto was back in Peoria for a family matter. “I told him I loved the show and if I ever got the chance to direct it, I wanted him to be my Archibald (Craven). So of course, I called him. I’m so thankful he could do it,” Orear said.

Shatto was available, but one gets the feeling he would have done anything to make sure he could work with Orear again. She was, after all, the first director he ever had on a Peoria stage. The show was “Peter Pan” at a former community theatre in Bartonville. Shatto portrayed the title character. It was 1981; he was 16. Mike Reams, now his co-star in “The Secret Garden,” was in that show, as well.

Shatto only performed on Peoria stages a few more times before leaving for college  ̶  Western Illinois University after first graduating from Peoria Bergan High School, then transferring to Southern Illinois University. After leaving SIU, it was on to St. Louis, where he started his professional stage career. He became an Equity actor a year and a half later, then went to New York in 1989.

“I really wanted to do TV and film, but musical theatre became my bread and butter,” he said.

Film and TV work did come his way in between stage shows, including a co-starring role in the recently released Cuba Gooding Jr. film, “Freedom.” In the film Shatto plays a vagabond musician who helps the character portrayed by Gooding to get his family to the first station along the Underground Railroad in the 1860s. The role enabled to him sing in a scene where the musicians were trying to cheer up the family.

“It is a very ambitious film and the way they utilized the music made it almost become a character on its own. It was unique,” he said.

His theatre credentials are impressive, with four Broadway shows and numerous national and regional tours on his resume. The Broadway shows include “Les Miserables,” with which he also toured, “Hands On A Hardbody,” “The Civil War,” and “Dracula.” In “Dracula,” he originated the musical role of Quincy Morris. “It’s the only role I’ve ever originated,” he said.

He has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best Actor for the touring company of “The Civil War” in 2010.

He also toured nationally with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for 10 years.

One of the experiences Shatto speaks most highly of when he became part of a cabaret group known as “The Wise Guys.” It was a featured group on Holland America cruise ships on which he worked and later performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. A year and a half later, the group was asked to perform with Rosemary Clooney, again at Carnegie Hall. “I mean, it was Carnegie Hall! Carnegie Hall! It was something,” he said.

It was after “The Wise Guys” that Shatto’s Broadway career started, with “The Civil War” in the spring of 1999. It was then, he said, he began to realize he’d made it; his dream came true.

After the show closed on Broadway, he joined the national tour of “The Civil War,” which starred Larry Gatlin and John Schneider. A year later, he was in the cast of “Les Miserables,” first as a cover for Jean Valjean.

Shatto eventually left the show on his own because of a couple different reasons. One was he became disenchanted with the prospect of a long-running show when he realized the performers were going through the motions every night, treating it like a 9-to-5 job. “It seemed to me they’d lost their passion. I got burned out,” he said.

Another factor was he was going to a divorce from his first wife, an actress named Ann Whitney whom he fell in love with when they were in St. Louis and with whom he’d moved to New York in 1989. “That left me a bit lost, rudderless. I kind of fell off the map,” he said.

After five years away, however, he landed the role of Quincy Morris in “Dracula.” It was 2005. “It was very seminal for me. I was a lead, plus covered two other leading roles, and I worked opposite Kelly O’Hara, who is now the toast of Broadway. It was a great experience,” Shatto said.

However, it was also during that time his father, Player Shatto, died in Peoria, which he said was very tough on him, his mother Sara and his family.

Then, in 2007, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer. He’d been dating a woman named Amy Bladen at the time. She’s a psychologist. When he told her she didn’t have to stick around, “she told me she wasn’t going anywhere, and we were going to find the best specialists around and beat this thing. She stayed with me.”

Just as he was about to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the latter on his vocal chords, his oncologist stopped him and said he wanted to try something different. Because of that, it was learned Shatto didn’t have Lymphoma after all; rather, he has a condition called Lymphmatoid Papulosis, a rare disease that masks itself as cancer. “It saved my life. He saved my life. It can lead to cancer, so I keep a very close eye on it. So does my wife. Oh. I should mention, Amy became my wife,” he said. They live in New Jersey.

Shatto also has a teen-age son from his first marriage, Conor, who is on his way to an acting career, as well.

The last time Shatto performed in Peoria was in 2004, when he did a one-night cabaret performance at the Apollo Theatre downtown. “It was hugely successful. I worked with Andrew Driscoll on it, and I wanted to do it again while I’m here,” he said.

That cabaret, called “From Peoria to Broadway and Back,” will be performed July 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. at the Waterhouse. Tickets are $15 a person.

“I not only to share my experiences with the community and allow the community to see some of its best talent, as well. I have local musicians playing and some other local performers. It’s going to be a magical night,” he said. Some of the other local talent includes Mike Reams, who is performing with Shatto in “The Secret Garden,” and John Huerta and Carmen McCarthy, who just finished “Les Miserables” at Eastlight Theatre.

The first half of the show will be various songs that denote the milestones in Shatto’s life, including popular hits from the 1970s and 80s. The second act will be Broadway.

First, there is "The Secret Garden," which opens a nine-show run on Friday, July 10. 

“I’m really enjoying being back right now. We’re doing a wonderful show at Corn Stock and everybody is so into it. I just know with Pam’s unique vision and talent as a director that it’s going to be special. I’m glad I’m here,” he said.

Sports injuries on the rise for children

Summertime brings longer days and, for many children, lots of outdoor activity. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) reminds parents and coaches that increased participation in outdoor sports can also increase the number of foot and ankle injuries, particularly for children who play field sports. 

Ankle sprains alone account for 10 percent of all injuries seen in emergency departments. ACFAS calls for parents and coaches to educate themselves on the signs of foot and ankle injuries and to seek treatment early.

Among the most popular of summer recreational activities are field sports such as flag football, lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, baseball and softball – sports that often require the use of rubber-molded cleats and, in some cases, metal screw-on spikes.

"Children under the age of 10 are at special risk for sports injuries, especially when cleats are involved," said Timothy Swartz, DPM, FACFAS, aMaryland-based foot and ankle surgeon and Fellow Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

"Aside from creating imbalances that could result in ankle sprains, continuous running in a cleated shoe can injure and inflame the growth plate in the heel, causing a painful condition calledCalcaneal Apophysitis, which can be extremely slow to heal and, in extreme cases, may require surgical intervention," he said. 

Overuse injuries such as stress fractures are also a major risk factor for younger athletes whose bones are still growing. ACFAS advises parents and coaches to be alert to a child limping on and off the field, and to never encourage children to play through pain.

Parents should watch for symptoms of common sport injuries, including pain during normal activity, swelling, bruising, and in more serious cases, tissue tears.

ACFAS has created aninfographicto provide additional information and facts about what parents should know regarding pediatric foot and cleat injuries. For more information on foot and ankle pain and injuries, please visit FootHealthFacts.org.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons is a professional society of more than 7,000 foot and ankle surgeons. Founded in 1942, the College's mission is to promote research and provide continuing education for the foot and ankle surgical specialty, and to educate the general public on foot health and conditions of the foot and ankle through its patient education website,FootHealthFacts.org.

Millennials now outnumber boomers

Millennials, Americans born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation's population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released recently.

Overall, millennials are more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white).

These latest population estimates examine changes among groups by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin nationally, as well as in all states and counties, between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014.

Even more diverse than millennials are the youngest Americans: those younger than 5 years old. In 2014, this group became majority-minority for the first time, with 50.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group.

Reflecting these younger age groups, the population as a whole has become more racially and ethnically diverse in just the last decade, with the percentage minority climbing from 32.9 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2014.

Five states or equivalents were majority-minority: Hawaii (77.0 percent), the District of Columbia (64.2 percent), California (61.5 percent), New Mexico (61.1 percent) and Texas (56.5 percent). Among the remaining states, Nevada is the closest to crossing this threshold, with a population 48.5 percent minority. More than 11 percent (364) of the nation's 3,142 counties were majority-minority in 2014. Five reached this milestone during the year beginning July 1, 2013: Russell, Alabama; Newton, Georgia; Eddy, New Mexico; Brazoria, Texas; and Suffolk City, Virginia.

Other highlights from the estimates:

The 65-and-older population

• The nation's 65-and-older population grew from 44.7 million in 2013 to 46.2 million in 2014. This group, which now contains the oldest four years of the baby boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964), is 21.7 percent minority, less diverse than younger age groups.
• Between 2010 and 2014, the only two counties to add more than 100,000 people 65 and older to their total populations were Los Angeles, California (167,000) and Maricopa, Arizona (103,000).
• San Juan, Colorado, had the highest rate of increase in the 65-and-older population of any county between 2010 and 2014 (70.9 percent). Two other Colorado counties (San Miguel and Douglas) were also in the top five.
• Florida had the highest percentage of its population age 65 and older among states in 2014 (19.1 percent), followed by Maine (18.3 percent). Alaska had the lowest percentage (9.4 percent), followed by Utah (10.0 percent).
• Sumter, Florida, was the nation's only majority 65-and-older population county in 2014 (52.9 percent). Chattahoochee, Georgia, had the lowest percentage of its population in this age group (4.1 percent).

Some states and counties become younger

• In contrast to most states, five experienced a decline in median age between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014: North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming and Iowa.
• Median age declined in 434 counties over the period, with McKenzie, North Dakota, leading the way (32.9 to 31.6).
• Maine experienced the largest increase in median age among states, rising from 43.9 to 44.2 over the period.
• St. Helena, Louisiana, experienced the largest rise in median age among counties or equivalents, climbing from 40.2 to 41.3.
• There was a greater than 13-year difference between the state with the highest median age (Maine at 44.2) and that with the lowest (Utah at 30.5).
• There was a more than 42-year difference between the county with the highest median age (Sumter, Florida, at 65.9) and that with the youngest (Madison, Idaho, at 23.1). There were 74 counties where the median age was greater than 50, and 57 counties where it was less than 30.

States with more males than females (and vice versa)

• There were only 10 states where males made up a majority of the population in 2014. Alaska had the highest male percentage (52.6 percent), followed by North Dakota (51.3 percent).
• The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of females of any state or equivalent (52.6 percent), followed by Delaware (51.6 percent).

Births versus deaths

• All race and ethnic groups except single-race, non-Hispanic whites had more births than deaths between 2013 and 2014. This group had 61,841 more deaths than births.

Hispanics

• The nation's Hispanic population totaled 55.4 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 1.2 million, or 2.1 percent, since July 1, 2013.
• California had the largest Hispanic population of any state in 2014 (15.0 million). However, Texas had the largest numeric increase within the Hispanic population since July 1, 2013 (228,000). New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanics at 47.7 percent.
• Los Angeles had the largest Hispanic population of any county (4.9 million) in 2014 while Harris, Texas, had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (45,000). Starr — on the Mexican border in Texas — had the highest share of Hispanics (95.8 percent).

Blacks

• The nation's black or African-American population totaled 45.7 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 578,000, or 1.3 percent, since July 1, 2013.
• New York had the largest black or African-American population of any state or equivalent in 2014 (3.8 million); Texas had the largest numeric increase since July 1, 2013 (88,000). The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of blacks (50.6 percent), followed by Mississippi (38.2 percent).
• Cook County, Illinois, (Chicago) had the largest black or African-American population of any county in 2014 (1.3 million), and Harris, Texas, had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (21,000). Holmes, Mississippi, was the county with the highest percentage of blacks or African-Americans in the nation (82.5 percent).

Asians

• The nation's Asian population totaled 20.3 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 631,000, or 3.2 percent, sinceJuly 1, 2013.
• California had both the largest Asian population of any state (6.3 million) in July 2014 and the largest numeric increase of Asians since July 1, 2013 (162,000). Hawaii was the nation's only majority-Asian state, with people of this group comprising 56.2 percent of the total population.
• Los Angeles had the largest Asian population of any county (1.7 million) in 2014 and the largest numeric increase (29,000) since 2013. Honolulu and Kauai, both in Hawaii, were the nation's only majority-Asian counties.

American Indians and Alaska Natives

• The nation's American Indian and Alaska Native population totaled 6.5 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 93,000, or 1.4 percent, since July 1, 2013.
• California had the largest American Indian and Alaska Native population of any state in 2014 (1.1 million) and the largest numeric increase since 2013 (13,000). Alaska had the highest percentage (19.4 percent).
• Los Angeles had the largest American Indian and Alaska Native population of any county in 2014 (235,000), and Maricopa, Arizona, the largest numeric increase (4,700) since 2013. Shannon, South Dakota — on the Nebraska border and located entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation — had the highest percentage (93.4 percent).

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders

• The nation's Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population totaled 1.5 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 33,000, or 2.3 percent, since July 1, 2013.
• Hawaii had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders of any state (370,000) in 2014 and the highest percentage (26.0 percent). California had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (7,000).
• Honolulu had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders of any county (239,000) in 2014, and Hawaii County had the highest percentage (34.4 percent). Clark, Nevada, had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (1,100).

Non-Hispanic white alone

• The nation's non-Hispanic white alone population totaled 197.9 million in 2014, up by 94,000, or 0.5 percent, since 2013.
• California had the largest non-Hispanic white alone population of any state in 2014 (14.9 million). Texas had the largest numeric increase in this population group since 2013 (79,000). Maine had the highest percentage of the non-Hispanic white alone population (93.8 percent).
• Los Angeles had the largest non-Hispanic white alone population of any county (2.7 million) in 2014.Maricopa, Arizona, had the largest numeric increase in this population since 2013 (23,000). Leslie, Kentucky, comprised the highest percentage (98.1 percent) of single-race non-Hispanic whites.

Unless otherwise specified, the statistics refer to the population who reported a race alone or in combination with one or more races. Censuses and surveys permit respondents to select more than one race; consequently, people may be one race or a combination of races. The detailed tables show statistics for the resident population by "race alone" and "race alone or in combination." The sum of the populations for the five "race alone or in combination" groups adds to more than the total population because individuals may report more than one race. All references to age, race, and Hispanic origin characteristics of counties apply only to counties with a 2014 population of 10,000 or more. The federal government treats Hispanic origin and race as separate and distinct concepts. In surveys and censuses, separate questions are asked on Hispanic origin and race. The question on Hispanic origin asks respondents if they are of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.

Starting with the 2000 Census, the question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they consider themselves to be. Hispanics may be of any race. Responses of "some other race" from the 2010 Census are modified in these estimates. This results in differences between the population for specific race categories for the modified 2010 Census population versus those in the 2010 Census data.