Aidan Ziegler Hansen - Our Rising Star

After watching an old video of Aladdin from February 2005, it was striking to see Aidan in a principal role at the age of 10. Realizing he has been involved in the Theatre program at the Crow for over 8 years, is a tribute to the dedication of this young man. From principal to chorus, Aidan has displayed all the Rising Star attributes that say Crow. We recognize Aidan as a Rising Star not because he has been here so long, but because he is "always" here for the staff, cast and students in the building. His passion makes him an artist but his compassion truly make him a Crow. Ask any student at the Crow, and they will tell you they want to be like Aidan. They have seen him or watched him in a role and it has inspired them to take their place on stage. His role at the Studios inspires the younger students to set their own goals, gain self confidence and respect the strengths of the one as you work in a cast of many.

In his own words, Aidan talks about his life as a Crow.

"I plan to study musical theatre in college and become a working professional making a living performing.  

I am currently involved in the South Eugene High School select jazz choir, Dorians; South Eugene Theatre Program, currently working on Roger and Hammerstein's Carousel; Utah Ballroom Dance Company, semi professional touring dance company; All That! Dance Company; just finished working with the Angel Hair Foundation on their fundraiser performance Shall We Dance.

The Crow was the beginning.  That is where I first had the opportunity to perform and develop my love for the stage and performing arts.  The Crow gave me the support to realize my love of the theatre and inspired me to make my passion become my career." 

Aidan graduates this year from South Eugene High School. His rigorous academic program includes AP (advanced placement) classes, completing the highest math class offered at South and he maintains a 4.0 GPA. These are the stories about Aidan you don't hear. But we all know that wherever Aidan flies, the Crow will always be home.

Star On The Rise - Sabrina Gross

Our Star On The Rise this week is the lovely Sabrina Gross! No surprise as to the talent this girl has displayed since her role as Mrs. Pugh in Annie almost three years ago. Recently, Sabrina had an amazing adventure that has taken her dreams of being an actress to the next level.

After meeting with Seattle Talent in October, Sabrina, found herself in a whirlwind of workshops, auditions, vocal lessons and finally on the fast track to IPOP in Los Angeles. The experience was filled with the fast paced life of the Hollywood world. Running from one audition to the next, Sabrina was tested on so many levels of her talent. She was put through the paces in five categories: Singing, Monologue, Commercial, TV Beauty Commercial and Scene. In these categories, the beautiful Miss Gross scored in the Top Ten.

Interviews with managers, agents and talent producers followed, with 18 of them showing an interest in our Crow. Sabrina will be going to Los Angeles for the next three months to work and continue her dream, auditioning in the Pilot Season. She was described as a young Reese Witherspoon. Her school is making it possible for her to continue her studies while she is away and we at Upstart Crow will miss her triple threat talent her in the theatre and the dance studio.

Sabrina and her parents wanted to share their thoughts about her life at the Crow in their own words

"We are grateful and thankful for the growth and learning experience she has gained while at Upstart Crow and All That! Dance. Words cannot even express that enough! (Much of her resume' consists of her performances and experiences with both;-) She will always be a true Crow at heart!! And, if we end up in LA, I'm sure she is going to miss the 'goings on' at the theater and dance studio! It's like a second home to her! Thank you so much to you and everyone there for being the spark, flame, and catapult that directed Sabrina in a path that I'm sure will enrich her life forever!"

All our best wishes as we watch our Crow star, Sabrina Gross, fly away and continue to be on the rise!

A Magic Carpet Ride

Getting ready to welcome parents and cast members tonight for the Winter production of Aladdin. Always fun to start a new production and to see old faces, as well as the new ones. We will be producing this musical here at the Crow's Nest Theatre and at the Hult Center in March. Tonight along with a meet and greet, parents are invited to ask questions to learn more about the logistics of putting on a musical of this caliber.

With a large cast we double cast the principal roles. This gives us an opportunity to offer more roles. It also has the leads playing chorus one night, seeing both sides of the acting world. One of the biggest challenges is casting. The directors work very hard to make sure the role fits the child so that the focus is on their success. Call backs and final auditions will be held tomorrow, with casting decisions made within the week. Rehearsals begin on Thursday with basic acting skills for the new kids and a chance to read and stretch their acting muscles for the return students. Once the cast has been set, we move on to the challenge of costuming so many young people. Last year we had over 80 kids and we expect about the same number this year. Lots of roles in this production, so it will be interesting to see how it all comes together. We are also working on a couple of magical scenes to surprise and delight both cast and audience. So welcome to Agrabar! Hop aboard our magic carpet, sit back and enjoy the ride!