Once the excitement died down over having a bona fide TV star on the set of the latest PACE Musical Theatre production, everyone got down to work.
Calum Worthy, a PACE program grad well-known by tweens and teens alike as Dez on the hit Disney TV series Austin and Ally, jetted into town from California early this week to take on his usual multiple roles in the community theatre production.
Worthy, who on Tuesday was set to take part in his first dress rehearsal for Another OpB次元官网网址橬ing, Another Show, at the Isabelle Reader Theatre in Langford, says he appreciated being able to come back to where his theatre and performance career began.
B次元官网网址淧ACE has been my home since IB次元官网网址檝e been born,B次元官网网址� the youthful 24-year-old said with only slight exaggeration.
B次元官网网址淪ome of the people I learned from are still here, so itB次元官网网址檚 very cool to come back and see everybody. The kids are so talented B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 amazing to see the Grade 12 kids acting and singing and dancing and just killing it.B次元官网网址�
One of the people who guided his development in the performing arts is mom, Sandra Webster-Worthy, the longtime artistic director for PACE in the Sooke School District.
She says itB次元官网网址檚 always exciting when Calum comes home, given everyone wants a piece of his time. As a now-veteran professional in an industry notoriously difficult to break into, heB次元官网网址檚 able to mentor PACEB次元官网网址檚 up-and-coming young actors and give them the straight goods on the amount of hard work and persistence it takes to be successful, she says.
Calum didnB次元官网网址檛 get B次元官网网址渄iscoveredB次元官网网址� by Disney for his role on Austin and Ally four years ago, Sandra says.
B次元官网网址淗e walked in with 60 (film and TV) credits,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚n reality itB次元官网网址檚 really hard to get a contract with Disney.B次元官网网址�
She and Calum note that much of getting on board with the entertainment colossus is being able to bring a positive image to the table and not only maintain it, but grow it, through things like social media.
B次元官网网址淚 gained 100,000 followers on Twitter when I was signed to the show,B次元官网网址� Calum says.
The company does a lot to maintain that connection with fans. In between a busy production schedule with the show and doing side jobs such as teleplay writing and voiceover work for Disney, he gets flown around the country for signing tours in malls, where there can be as many as 6,000 kids waiting to get an autograph and have a brief conversation with a star.
Calum, a Claremont secondary alumnus, is quick to point out the family atmosphere that he enjoys so much about working on the Disney show is very much a parallel to the setting around PACE.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a team. That environment is so magical,B次元官网网址� he says.
With participants B次元官网网址� both students and adults B次元官网网址� doing upwards of 20 performances per year and rehearsing most Sundays, the program has become very family oriented, Sandra says. PACE also prides itself on offering performers a non-competitive environment B次元官网网址� no auditions are held.
B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e in high school, if you donB次元官网网址檛 come in talented and confident, you donB次元官网网址檛 get much of a shot,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址�(PACE is) about empowering kids. Most of them wonB次元官网网址檛 go on to careers in show business, but this is just as much about life lessons.B次元官网网址�
Calum has taken those lessons to heart as heB次元官网网址檚 moved from a one-line scene in Scooby Doo 2 to a regular gig with Disney and various film roles. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 important to stay real, he says.
Another OpB次元官网网址檔ing shows at 7 p.m. April 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, with 2 p.m. matinees April 3, 4 and 11. Cost is $12 or $10 for students and seniors.
