“Who wants to be a rock?” queried Lisa Markowitz, who’s directing a musical adaptation of “The Jungle Book” at Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY).
Approximately seven hands shot up from the eager and energetic crowd of a couple dozen young actors in the State Street theater space.
Markowitz then organized her orangutans, ants, bumblebees and vultures to run through the song “I Wanna Be Like You.”
“If you don’t know your choreography, you’ve got to know it! And that’s all I’m going to say about that,” she warned in a friendly voice.
Across the street in the Masonic Hall, director Erin Smith was warming up her high school actors in the song “I Speak Six Languages” for their upcoming show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
She listened to some suggestions on how to stage the scene, and since they were in the beginning stages of rehearsals, she said “We’ll see.”
Both productions have several casts, which speaks to the popularity BAAY has enjoyed since its inception in 2006 by founder David Post.
Markowitz has been with BAAY for 15 years as choreographer, program director and EduArts instructor, after seeing an ad on Craigslist and having a “gut feeling” it was the job she was looking for. She also started the BAAY Dance Company. She’s now seeing kids she first met when they were 5 years old going off to college.
“BAAY provides the kids of Bellingham an opportunity to be themselves,” Markowitz said, “to be accepted, to work together in a meaningful way with other kids and to express who they truly are. I wish I’d had a place like that when I was a kid. I want to give the kids at BAAY what I didn’t have.”
“BAAY is home to so many kids in this community,” Smith added. “It acts as a safe space for any person that may feel like they don’t fit in elsewhere, or has a ton of creative energy and isn’t sure what to do with it. … The kids here learn to be proud of who they are, unapologetic in their choices and accepting of those around them — different they may be.”
Kim Friberg knows BAAY well. She’s been involved since its first show, “Annie Jr.’’ She’s been a parent volunteer, helped with hair and makeup, marketing, photography and formerly worked closely with Post on financial matters, grant writing and organizational development. She was also on the first board of directors.
“Watching kids that are so painfully shy when they first attend BAAY flourish by finding their voice, their strengths, their talents and an ability to speak in front of a crowd has always been awe-inspiring,” Friberg said, adding that self-confidence and public speaking are life skills which will help out the youth throughout their lives.
Lucas Darrow, 13, who’s been a student at the space for five years, said BAAY helped him discover his love for musical theater. Singing, dancing and performing onstage have become some of his favorite activities, he said. It has also helped him come out of his shell and connect with others.
“I can’t imagine my life without it,” he said. “BAAY helps to grow a positive environment where everyone is included regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion or any other aspect of their identity. BAAY is the bomb.”
Music director Dylan Cisneros, who was hired in early 2022, emphasizes that BAAY provides an alternate avenue for kids to explore the arts beyond the public schools, and appreciates its commitment to providing funding for families of a wide range of income levels.
Juliette Machado has been a staff member at BAAY since 2014, beginning as the coordinator for the EduArts after-school enrichment program, then taking on the additional role of marketing director. She is now operations director, working alongside Artistic Director Olivia Theilemann.
Machado agrees with Cisneros that BAAY aims to fill the gap from cuts in public school arts programs.
“No student has ever been turned away from our downtown theater or after-school EduArts programs for financial reasons,” Machado said.
Theilemann has worked at BAAY since 2017 as a stage manager and program director. She said one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is sitting in the office in the evenings and watching students come through the door.
“They always have huge smiles on their faces and immediately zip off to join their awaiting friends,” she said. “Watching kids enter the space as if it’s what gives them air is truly magical.”
Anna Evans has been involved in the organization since her daughter appeared in “Annie Jr.,” in 2006, as a parent volunteer, a board member, two-term board president and interim executive director during the COVID shutdown.
The theater was Evans’ daughter’s home away from home for 12 years, and the former student is now an aspiring opera singer. Evans said she continues to be involved because she’s so impressed by the spirit animating everything the arts venue does.
“At its core, BAAY isn’t so much about teaching kids to sing and dance as it is about nurturing their confidence and character, their compassion and creativity,” Evans said. “I wanted to be part of that effort.”
As much fun as it is to go to a BAAY show, Evans said, her favorite thing is to see what goes on backstage — from watching how the kids take care of each other, to listening to what they have to say in affirmation circles after every rehearsal, to the intensity of their energy-building ritual before each performance.
Evans also gets a kick out of seeing kids improvise and problem-solve when something unexpected happens, and loves their deepening awareness that, together, they are creating something unique and special.
“We’re blessed to have an amazing staff of incredibly dedicated people with big ideas and the talent to bring them to life,” Evans said. “With their leadership — and with the community’s support — I hope BAAY will continue to expand its reach and be in a position to serve kids from all walks of life and all over Whatcom County for generations to come.”
“The Jungle Book” will feature BAAY “junior” performers ages 9–12, with four casts performing May 12 through June 4 at the BAAY Theater, 1059 N. State St.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” features teenage “senior” performers ages 13–17, with cast one performing June 2–4 at New Prospect Theatre, 207 Prospect St., and cast two performing June 9–11 at BAAY. Info: baay.org.
