Braving the stage

Deirdre Newman

Steve Womack is one lucky guy.

The 14-year-old Victorville resident is the only boy in the

14-member Shenanigans’ Youth Theater, which belted out a bevy of

Broadway show tunes on Wednesday afternoon on the Heritage Stage.

Then Womack’s luck suddenly ran out as he paraded onstage dressed

in a coconut bra, grass skirt, pink lei and blond wig as a girl

dressed as a male sailor crooned “Honeybun” from the musical “South

Pacific” to him.

“You’ve just got to swallow your pride and get out there,” said

Steve, good-naturedly. “I do this because it’s fun and I need the

stage discipline.”

The theater group, with members ranging in age from 10 to 15,

performed two shows Wednesday highlighting the musical history of

Broadway. The selections included songs by George Gershwin, Cole

Porter, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

One of the youngest performers, Crystal Montague, 10, of Apple

Valley, sang a spunky rendition of “I Want to Make the World Laugh”

from the show “Mac and Mabel.”

“I think it’s really fun and enjoy singing and dancing,” Crystal

said.

While Wednesday was this particular cast’s first time performing

at the fair, other ensembles from the theater group have been

entertaining Orange County fairgoers for the past six years, said

Ashlie Welte, the group’s director.

On Wednesday, the audience responded enthusiastically to the early

performance.

“I thought they were very poised and excellent,” said Christine

Roberts of West Hills. “That fellow is very brave.”

Brave? Yes. Inspiring? No, at least for 8-year-old Josh Guillen of

Santa Ana, who responded with an emphatic “no” when asked if he would

ever dress up as a girl, even if it was onstage.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.