‘Gypsy’ star takes her ‘turn’ in the spotlight

Tom Titus

“Well, someone tell me, when is it my turn?/When do I get a dream for

myself?”

-- Mama Rose in “Gypsy”

Kellie Nitkin, your turn has come.

As the last in a line of five musical sisters, Kellie has waited for

her “turn” to shine on stage. And now, gangway world, get off of her

runway as “Gypsy” opens Friday as an Academy of Performing Arts

production in the Huntington Beach High School theater.

Not that Kellie Nitkin -- who plays the part of the mother of all

stage mothers in the popular biographical musical -- has been hiding her

light under a bushel. She did, after all, win a “best supporting actress”

award as Laura in “The Glass Menagerie” at APA and, just last year, aced

the title role of “Anne of Green Gables” at Costa Mesa’s Trilogy

Playhouse.

But Mama Rose? Well, in Kellie’s words, it’s “the role of a lifetime,”

and she’s been waiting in line behind her other siblings for a crack at

something like it. Now she’s a senior and it’s her turn to take “Rose’s

Turn” in the spotlight.

“It’s a very challenging role, considering that I’m only 17,” Kellie

says, “but I feel that it’s good to stretch myself.”

Tim Nelson, the APA musical theater and vocal director who’s staging

“Gypsy,” knows the Nitkin family well. The oldest is a teacher in the

Westminster Unified School District and next in line is Lindy, who played

Chava in “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Curtain Call Dinner Theater in

Tustin with Nelson’s wife, Mary, who took the part of the oldest sister

Tzeitel.

(Lindy also is remembered around my house as Dorothy in the

Westminster Community Theater’s memorable 1987 production of “The Wizard

of Oz.” Memorable because my 8-year-old daughter, Mindy, made her stage

debut as the witch’s monkey in that show. Now almost 23 with a plethora

of theater credits, Mindy’s preparing for her wedding next week.)

The next Nitkin sister is Sharie, a 1999 graduate of APA and, Nelson

declares, one of his best pupils with star turns like Sally Bowles in

“Cabaret” and Diana Morales in “A Chorus Line.” She followed Lindy to the

Curtain Call as well.

“And then the last one -- Kellie,” Nelson beams. “I have been her

musical theater teacher since she was a freshman and this class is a very

special one to me, because the freshmen I started with are now the

seniors and she is one of them. She really is an exceptional actress and,

like the other ones, has a great voice.”

The budding Gypsy Rose Lee will be played by Katherine McLaughlin, who

won sustained applause last fall in the leading role of “Once on This

Island” at the APA’s Huntington Beach High School theater. She’s been the

only girl in the school to be cast in every main stage musical since her

freshman year, Nelson points out.

“Evonne Sturm [June] has worked with me since children’s theater at

the Gem Theater long before she ever entered high school,” Nelson

comments.

And Madison and Melissa Mitchell (playing Baby June and the younger

Louise) are real sisters who currently are working in the “business”

doing commercials.

“They have a very supportive -- but not a Mama Rose-like -- mother,”

Nelson says.

Others featured in the APA cast are David Harwell as Herbie, “D” Pull

as Tulsa and Alie Gibbons, Mindy Patrick and Rachel Scott as the three

veteran strippers with the “gimmicks.” Others in the company are Alex

Bartosch, Matt Bartosch, Jesse Gonzales, Mitchell Le, Anthony Page, Ed

Bedran, Michael Diaz, Daniel Goldberg, Naman Pham and Brian Wessels.

Diane Makas-Colwell is choreographing the musical, with Joe Battes

handling the set-designing duties and Gregg Gilbow filling the orchestra

director’s chair for the 18th time at the academy. Katie Timm is creating

the showbizzy costumes.

“Gypsy” -- which in its original 1958 incarnation featured lyrics by

a young Stephen Sondheim (Ethel Merman didn’t want an unproven kid

writing her musical score, so Jule Styne did that) -- will be presented

this weekend and next in the Huntington High auditorium.

And what will Mama Rose do for an encore? “I’m still debating between

universities,” Kellie Nitkin says, “but I do plan to study drama because

I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

F.Y.I.

WHAT: “Gypsy”

WHO: Academy for the Performing Arts

WHERE: Huntington Beach High School, 1905 Main St.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and March 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.; 2

p.m. Sunday and March 24

COST: $10 & $8

PHONE: (714) 536-2514, Ext. 301