Kidz kabaret7/4/2023 ![]() ![]() "I love the idea that the families who've been part of this will have their names on the floor forever," Hernandez said. Toward that end, volunteers were selling personalized tiles that will go on a "walk of fame" and a "wall of fame" in the finished theater. ![]() When the theater's all finished, Hernandez said she wants it to have an "old Hollywood" feel. Quite a bit of construction work on the new theater has been completed the group received a donated stage and seats from theaters in the area that had closed or moved.īut Hernandez said work, and fundraising efforts, continue. ![]() Saturday's groundbreaking included video games, face painting, food and stage performances. "I'd like to see the same attention spent on kids interested in theater." "In sports, we start so young with practice and encouragement," she said. Hernandez, who has a theater background, realized there was a need for a group that would hone children's theater skills while also building their self-esteem. Hernandez started Kidz Kabaret when her daughter, in fifth grade at the time, auditioned for a local production of "Peter Pan" and came home upset when she didn't get the part. Roughly 350 children, age 4 up through high school, belong to the group, which puts on 13 productions a year (many are repeated by different casts comprising different age groups, adding up to about 180 shows a year). With a space of its own, the group will be able to focus on becoming a premiere community theater destination in the Naperville area, Hernandez said. They should be proud too."įor years, Kidz Kabaret had to move from space to space when putting on shows. I'm so proud of what the kids have done, what the parents have done. "It feels awesome," Hernandez said Saturday. You can learn more on their website at new theater, called Center Stage Theater, is being added on to the group's existing spot at 1655 Quincy Ave. Kidz Kabaret is located at 1665 Quincy Avenue, Suite 143 in Naperville and their Executive Director is Kandiss Hernandez. While there are plenty of great performance arts programs and activities in and around Naperville, I’m particularly grateful for the efforts of the whole crew at Kidz Kabaret. That’s about as much as a parent could ask for. It’s all the more comforting to see the absence of competitiveness and the sense that the biggest stage Kidz Kabaret is preparing our children for is the stage of life… to help them build confidence, commitment and discipline… to learn how to communicate… to work together as a cast… to express themselves and to enjoy the arts. Even more, we were blown away to see our little shy guy acting and singing solos… on a stage… with bright lights… in front of an audience. We were pretty amazed by how well these pint-sized triple threats were able to put it all together with the support of the Kidz Kabaret teachers. They focus on helping kids develop self-confidence while learning the many exciting aspects of theater production.įor my son, the Summer Theater Camp “Aladdin” performance at Kidz Kabaret led to the Fall program where he performed in “Annie Jr.” to the Winter program where he just finished “It’s a Fairy Tale Life” heading toward the Spring Program. “Non-Audition” means every kid gets a chance to perform even if that means having 15 different casts each with their own performance date. Today, their facility on Quincy Avenue is pretty incredible in terms of its size, theater and rehearsal space. Kidz Kabaret and its 501(c)(3) Fair Lady Productions is a Naperville-based non-audition children’s theater company that began in 2003 as a summer stock performance in Executive Director Kandiss Hernandez’s backyard. Of course, once he gets comfortable just sit back and enjoy the entertainment. The one detail I’ve left out is the fact my youngest son is a pretty shy kid and often struggles in relating and communicating with other kids. He loved the pottery class he took through our incredible Naperville Parks District and this Summer took the leap, participated in a Theater day camp at Kidz Kabaret here in Naperville and fell in love. Over the past few years, we’ve worked our way through soccer, t-ball, cub scouts, coach pitch baseball, football and pottery. While my oldest son is a natural-born competitive athlete, it’s been a process of elimination for my youngest son in his journey to discover his own unique niche. As a matter of fact, its been my experience that siblings tend to be opposite in personality, interests and behavior.Īs a parent, my dream for my children is for them to discover their own unique dream and support them as much as I can in their journey. My youngest son, pictured in the middle, has found his passion in theater through Kidz Kabaret.Īs any parent knows, no two children are the same. ![]()
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