Steve Somerville
Sound of Music singing and dancing star Natali Ioffe, 5, says that in show business, if you make a mistake, you keep on going.
Vaughan
October 16, 2008 10:57 PM
5 year old lands beloved Gretl role
Caroline Grech
Five-year-old Natali Ioffe comes into her Thornhill living room, legs raised in an exaggerated march, imitating what she will do on stage for at least the next few months.
She bounds around like a ball of energy as she describes how she landed a role in one of the most anticipated musicals of the year at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.
Natali has been cast as Gretl in the Mirvish production of the much beloved The Sound of Music.
The production opened to the public last night and is expected to have a long run.
Although this youngster began making commercials when she was nine months old, this is the first time she has been involved in a stage production.
In appropriate fashion, Natali plays the youngest of the Von Trapp children, and tells The Citizen why she wants to be a part of this large-scale musical.
“I wanted to have some fun,” she says, laughing.
At five, she is the youngest person in the production.
As she darts around the room, mom Lana explains the rigorous auditioning Natali went through to get the part.
At first, it wasn’t a sure thing, she said.
After months of auditioning, the concern remained that Natali was too young. Casting directors would reconsider her in a few months.
Heartbroken, Lana told Natali they would try again in a little while.
But only three weeks later, another call came and they wanted Natali to audition again.
After another intense three-hour audition where she danced and sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music, she won the role.
“I’m going to be tired at the end of the day, doing two shows in one day,” she said, rolling her blue eyes upward and shrugging her shoulders. “It’s long, but I like singing and dancing.”
For the pint-sized star, it’s the costume changes that are a bit of a challenge.
There are six costume changes, some of which have to happen in a matter of 30 seconds.
“When I did the show I was nervous a little bit, with the audience clapping and everything,” Natali said. “If you make a mistake you keep going, but sometimes I’m still nervous.”
One of the best parts of being in the production is the curtain call at the end where the audience gets to show their appreciation, she said.
But this youngster doesn’t have stars in her eyes. She hopes to one day be a doctor.
One of her biggest fans is her 13-year-old sister, Jaklyn.
“It’s amazing. It’s a really beautiful show,” Jaklyn says.
As quickly as she immersed herself in the interview, Natali soon decides she’d like to finish the interview.
“Can I go in the basement now?” she asks, smiling.
After getting the nod, she takes off to go play and reminds everyone that she is, afterall, a five year old.
For tickets, call 416-872-1212 or tollfree at 1-800-461-3333.