Coming home

Once upon a time, there was a young Prince Pippin who didn’t know what to do with his life. He was willing, however, to spend his time “searching and searching for something important and fulfilling,” and to do a lot of singing and dancing along the way.

Here and now, there is a young actor who will be playing the part of the prince in the upcoming Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre production of the musical, “Pippin.” Local-boy-made-good, Steven Booth is back in town to sing and dance the starring role.

Back in town, because two years ago he was in Summer Theatre’s production of “Cats.” I remember his energy and the power of his voice. Female play-goers tell me that not only will they never forget his voice, but neither can they get his gyrations and strutting as the sexy Rum Tum Tugger out of their heads.

Back in town, also, because Booth grew up here, graduating from Lake City High School in 1999. It was there he found his very impressive voice when his girlfriend convinced him to make a life-changing switch from band to choir his junior year. Since then, his moves, his singing, and his acting talents have catapulted his career into a realm with a potential as great as that of Pippin, the prince in line for the throne.

Next, Booth received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, as a part-time, no-particular-goal-yet student, a drama teacher invited him to lunch and offered him a full scholarship in theater performance.

Then, as a new-grad actor, with no big-time experience, he auditioned for and received a leading part in the Tony Award winning play “Avenue Q,” and has spent the last year at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort Broadway Theatre. In August, Booth is moving east to be in the New York Musical Theatre Festival production of a new show, “Journey to the West.”

And from there, the sky’s the limit. Booth has his sights set high, and there’s every reason to believe that he’ll make it into that constellation of the stars.

In the musical, Pippin is stymied in his search for fulfillment, exclaiming at one point, “Well, dammit! Nothing turns out the way I thought it would. I’m getting old. Very Old. And I still haven’t done anything special with my life!” Booth’s life will never be so-described.

That, at least, is the expectation of international celebrities of theater, screen, and television, turned local residents and regional performers, Ellen Travolta and Jack Bannon. Travolta has appeared in hundreds of TV and theatrical roles. She has starred alongside Ethel Merman in the stage production of “Gypsy,” and with little brother, John, in the movies “Grease” and the soon to be released “Lonely Hearts.”

Bannon is best known from regular roles on the TV series “Lou Grant” and “Trauma Center.” He too has appeared frequently in films, plays, and other TV shows including “Charlie’s Angels.” Travolta and Bannon will be appearing with Booth in “Pippin” – Bannon as the king, and Travolta as the queen-mother – and then the couple will be in “Bus Stop” at Spokane’s Interplayers Theater in September.

These veterans saw something special and unique in Booth while he was still in high school. And then, several years ago, he was a voice-only character of the lead, a plant, in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Bannon recalls standing backstage night after night just to hear Booth recite his part. His voice was that special.

From there, Bannon and Travolta have gladly given the type of support and encouragement that does not come easily to a young actor. As Travolta said, their reputations demand that if they recommend someone, that someone had better be good. In fact, Booth is that good. Travolta and Bannon recently introduced Booth to their own agent.

“We are watching Steve start here,” said Travolta. She then described how her and Bannon’s careers and lives have cycled around from their frantic beginnings, years ago, to where they are now comfortable spending most of their time here, participating in the lives of their children and grandchildren. They still work on that larger stage from time to time, but they are content here. They’ve come full circle, just as Booth begins his circle, with their loving support.

“Pippin,” winner of five Tony Awards during its original Broadway run, is directed by Roger Welch, Summer Theatre’s producing artistic director. He is aided by musical director Steven Dahlke and choreographer Michael Wasileski.

You may not have heard of Prince Pippin before, and who knows what he’ll end up doing with his life? You’ll have to see the play to find out. But I can assure you that the talents and drive of Steven Booth will leave Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre as proud of his future accomplishments as the seasoned Ellen Travolta and Jack Bannon continue to do, by making this area their home and “play” ground.