A group of alumni from the Yukon Theatre for Young People in Whitehorse have formed a new theatre collective called Candlestick Theatre Society, and will present its first production, Be More Chill: The Broadway Musical, from December 7-17 at the Heart of Riverdale Blackbox Theatre.
The idea to stage a Yukon production of Be More Chill – The Broadway Musical as a whole started when director, producer, actor and co-founder of Whitehorse’s new Candlestick Theatre Society, Gabriel Hopkins, realized there was a lack of live entertainment happening this fall and winter.
“We spent a long time deliberating over what show we should do,” Hopkins tells What’s Up Yukon. “A variety show would be cheap and easy to make, but I really wanted us to start strong to prove to the world that we had what it takes to make a quality production on our own.”
After spending some time figuring out what show would make the perfect debut for the new theatre company, made up of alumni from the Yukon Theatre for Young People, landed on a show that many of them loved when they were younger.
“Being about teenagers, I used to think it was annoying, but that’s only when I was a teenager myself,” Hopkins admits. “Once I left high school I realized just how ridiculous it all was, and rediscovered my love for it. Its relatively small cast size, familiarity, and modern setting made it the perfect show to put together on such short notice, and with what (admittedly very little) budget we had.”
Be More Chill is a musical with original music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, and a book by Joe Tracz, based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini. It follows an average teenager named Jeremy Heere, played in this production by Hopkins himself. When the character finds out about “The Squip,” a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school, he must decide if being the most popular guy in school is worth the risk.
“Once we decided on the show I began work on everything I could,” says Hopkins. “Being the director, producer, and main character is a lot of work, and I’ve had to learn pretty much everything as I’ve been going along, but I’m not without help. With a board full of some of my best friends and an outstanding amount of help from some of the best producers in the Yukon, though I may be biased as one of them is my mother, we’ve pushed past every hurdle that has come our way.”
Hopkins found he was able to relate to his character, saying he wasn’t exactly what you’d describe as a cool kid in high school, though there are some differences between his own outlook and that of his character.
.
“I understand the isolation of being the nerd, and not having very many friends, however, as an introvert, I didn’t really have a desire to climb the social ladder in the way that Jeremy does,” he explains. “Luckily for me, I am also a huge drama nerd, and took refuge in a full four semesters of the MAD program which gave me all of the connections I could ever have wanted.”
Another point of the story Hopkins says he relates to goes beyond his high school days and into the more recent years of his life, as he’s struggled to find a purpose or somewhere to succeed.
“I have found that in this company I made, filled with my friends and allies, whereas Jeremy looks to find it in a super-computer meant to ‘fix’ him,” he continues. “I am so grateful to have all the support I do, and if the Jeremy character did too, I doubt he would’ve gone down such a drastic route to find his sense of purpose.”
While Hopkins doesn;t expect nightly sell-outs or to be heaped with praise in the streets, he hopes to generate some interest and funding for the next Candlestick production with this show. Be More Chill runs December 7-17 with a show each night, except for December 15, at 8 p.m. at the Heart of Riverdale’s Blackbox Theatre. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite at this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/be-more-chill-the-broadway-musical-tickets-763662905307.
“Overall this experience has helped me realize that even at 20 years old, it’s never too early, or too late, to follow your dreams, and to just try your best at something,” Hopkins says. “Who knows, maybe it’ll just work, and if you have all of the amazing people surrounding you that I do, it’s hard not to find all the help you could ever need. I love this town, I really do, and the people in it have been very kind to me. So I just want to say thank you to everyone who has ever supported me, or ever will.”
