Kai Clifton of Dorchester will be appearing in Boston Children’s Theatre’s production of FANCY NANCY THE MUSICAL running February 18 – 28. Photo courtesy of Boston Children’s Theatre“Left Shark” stole the Super Bowl halftime spotlight from Katy Perry last year. Will Dorchester resident Kai Clifton likewise surface as a bright new star when he plays a musical shark? We’ll soon found out when Fancy Nancy: The Musical opens on Feb. 18 at Arlington’s Regent Theatre.
The Boston Children’s Theatre (BCT) is producing this award-winning Off-Broadway hit based on “Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet,” the second in the wildly popular picture books series by Jane O’Connor. “Nancy” (BCT’s Bryn Smith) and her friends prepare for their very first stage show. Nancy is absolutely positive she and her best friend Bree (both of whom love to flounce around in tiaras and boas) will be cast as mermaids. But when Nancy is given the part of a dull, brown tree, the question is can she bring her signature flair to this rather wooden part?
Clifton has a much flashier role, playing Lionel, a classmate who stops the show as a hip-hop shark, doing a hilarious rap. BCT’s Julie Avedon notes that the 13-year-old Fields Corner resident “ is quite a talented young actor with a big resume for being so young.”
This is Clifton’s BCT debut, but he is no stranger to Boston stages. He has performed with Wheelock Family Theatre in The Trumpet of the Swan and Pinocchio, with Fort Point Theatre Channel in Blue Line Bowdoin, and he has worked with Boston City Singers. His favorite roles include ‘The Scarecrow’ in The Wiz, ‘Dentist’ in Little Shop of Horrors, ‘Birdie’ in Bye Bye Birdie, ‘Mr. Warbucks’ in Annie, ‘Simba’ in The Lion King, and ‘Joseph’ in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Clifton is in eighth grade at Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy’s Columbia Campus, where he first was bitten by the show biz bug.
“When I was in kindergarten, my teacher Mrs. Nesti inspired me to start to sing,” explains Clifton. “When I was in fourth grade my music director, Mrs. Mary Swanton, told me I should audition for the school show The Wiz and I did and I got the role of The Scarecrow. That was my theatre debut and I had an “aha” moment during my song (“If I Only Had a Brain”) and that’s when I realized this is what I wanted to do!”
He has auditioned for Boston Arts Academy, where he hopes to continue his musical training. But he already appreciates the professionalism instilled in a BCT production.
“This is the place to go because they care about you and they want you to have the training you need to pursue the career that you want in life,” said Clifton.
Fancy Nancy: The Musical features a book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo and music and lyrics by Danny Aboschm. The production is directed by Toby Schine, with Eric William Love as Choreographer and Chris Cho as Musical Director.
Tickets are $15 – $25 and can be purchased by visiting bostonchildrenstheatre.org or by calling the BCT Box Office at 617-424-6634, x222.
