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You may not realize it, but if you've been watching the
Disney Channel much over the past week-and-a-half,
you've probably seen two of kidsActing's brightest young
stars on a special Disney-made featurette entitled A Poem Is... On the other hand, if you haven't
 | | Maddy Mahmoud |
seen the segment yet, don't worry - you can still catch it several times a day on the Disney Channel, including during Disney Junior programming (usually around 9:55am), and again at 1:55pm. You can also watch the video any time you like by going directly to the Disney website.
KidsActing's own Eliza Jarret and Maddy Mahmoud both shine prominently in the short, in which a variety of fun and funny youngsters share what poetry means to each of them. And starring in the Mice episode of A Poem Is... isn't the only thing these two talented young ladies have in common: in addition to both being students of kidsActing education director Philip Olson, both girls performed in The Sound of Music last January at Center
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| | Eliza Jarrett |
Stage Texas, both cite The Wizards of Waverly Place as their favorite Disney show, and both of them have sunny, sparkling personalities. So we were delighted to get an opportunity to speak with Eliza and Maddy (plus both of their moms) and find out about their experiences filming with Disney TV, performing musicals at kidsActing, and everything in between.
kidsActing: Well, first of all, we have to ask--what does it feel like to be on TV?
Maddy: It was a great experience to be on TV! I also liked being outside to film [at Zilker Park], and I liked all the stuff about poems.
Eliza: It was really exciting; the first time I saw it, I had butterflies in my tummy and I almost started crying because I was so happy. I've always dreamed of being on the Disney Channel, ever since I was five and did my first [kidsActing] show, Annie, with Dylan and Gary.
kA: Who did you play in that production?
Eliza: I played Tessie [AKA the "Oh My Goodness" orphan]... and I asked for more lines!
kA: What about you, Maddy? What was your first show?
Maddy: I was in a church play and that got me involved in acting. It was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; I played a baby angel. I was about six years old and I knew I wanted to keep acting.
kA: So what shows did you do at kidsActing after that?
Maddy: At kidsActing, I've been in Annie and The Sound of Music. In The Sound of Music, I played one of the younger Von Trapp kids, named Elsa... In Annie, I was an orphan named July and I got to get into a fight with Pepper.
kA: And what other shows have you done, Eliza?
Eliza: I've done eight live stage performances. Annie, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, the full show of Annie, The Sound of Music, and two shows at ZACH.
Maddy: My sister does kidsActing, too! She was in the small version of The Little Mermaid.
kA: Cool! And have either of you ever done film work before the Disney shoot?
Maddy: I've been in a short film called The Man Who Never Cried, and I'm also going to be in one soon called Thick as Thieves.
Eliza: I did a CHIP commercial last year and a San Antonio Spurs Pizza Hut ad that's running right now.
kA: Wow, you two sure stay busy! So what do your friends and family think about you being on the Disney Channel?
Eliza: My little brother was watching Disney Junior and all of a sudden it came on [for the first time] and he screamed "MOM! ELIZA'S ON THE TV!" My friends at school are like "Oh my gosh, you're on TV!" That makes it feel real. It's fun because everybody gets to see what I do, even if they didn't understand it before.
Maddy: It was so exciting to see it the first time. It feels really cool. My friends think it's cool, too... My mom taped it so we can watch it whenever we want.
kA: What do you like most about performing?
Eliza: My favorite thing about acting is getting up in front of all the people and making them entertained on stage or on camera.
Maddy: My favorite thing about acting is the day we have the play and also the day of the dress rehearsal. I like how we get to try on our costumes and get through most of the play... I had a rehearsal once that went from 5 - 9 at night! It's fun AND tiring, both.
kA: Do either of you have parts you want to play or shows you want to do some day?
Maddy: If I could be on any show, I'd probably like to be on Tough Puppy... it's a show on Nickelodeon and I would want to play a part of one of the kids who says something like "I lost my lollipop!"
Eliza: I want to play Roxie Hart in Chicago. I want to be Galinda in Wicked!
kA: Sounds like you both have a pretty solid plan for the future! Is there anything else either of you would like to say? Or moms, anything y'all want to add?
Maddy: I want to say thank you to Phil for helping with me acting so I can get on the Disney Channel.
Kelly (Maddy's Mom): Everything at kidsActing has been wonderful. It's really built up her confidence; she loves going to auditions now, and she loves acting. Phil is a great teacher - he takes it seriously and he expects the best from all of them, and it's wonderful to see them all step up.
Eliza: Yes, Phil is really nice and he knows me well - and it's fun because all my friends are in the class!
Lawryl (Eliza's Mom): Eliza loves Philip, and she also loves the other teachers: Nina and Dylan and Gary. She tells me all the time that if I'm ever late to pick her up, she'll be happy if she can just go stay with Philip instead!
kA: Last question: do either of you have a kidsActing show coming up soon?
Eliza: I'm doing a Whodunnit [create-your-own-mystery} Class. We perform in April or May. I play Coco De Prada, a dumb fashion model!
Maddy: Well, I'm definitely going to do the play they have in the fall when it happens.
kA: Fantastic! We'll definitely look forward to all of that. Thanks so much, Eliza and Maddy! We're going to watch your video again right now!
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