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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Young actors perform with touring production of ‘Camelot’

From left, Jameson Elton, 12, Brax Ziegler and Jordan Santiago, 13, stand near the video advertisement for the musical “Camelot” outside the INB Performing Arts Center on Monday. The three area boys will share the role of Tom of Warwick in the play. (Jesse Tinsley)
Treva Lind treva.lind@comcast.net

Tom of Warwick is a young boy destined to be a knight. For three Spokane-area boys portraying him in “Camelot,” the role means entering mythical King Arthur’s world on a stage.

Selected by video audition, the young actors – Jameson Elton, 12; Brax Ziegler, 13; and Jordan Santiago, 13 – landed walk-on roles as Tom of Warwick in “Camelot,” a Best of Broadway national tour production opening today in Spokane.

Each will be in two performances at the INB Performing Arts Center between tonight and Sunday. Although the character’s stage time is short, he has direct dialogue with King Arthur, said Santiago, a seventh-grader at Sacajawea Middle School. The boy wants to fight with the king for what is right.

“He’s all ready with his bow and arrow,” Jordan said. “He wants to be knighted.”

Jordan, Jameson and Brax all have local theater experience. Acting in plays since age 5, Jordan has performed as Gavroche in The Civic Theatre’s “Les Miserables” and Tiny Tim in Christian Youth Theater’s “A Christmas Carol.” He also has performed with Patty Duke in “The Giver,” in two feature films and in commercials.

Aside from plays, Jordan keeps busy with the honor society and three accelerated classes at school. He also plays the fiddle in his grandmother’s band Bits and Pieces, and likes to tap dance. For now, he’s looking forward to being in the Broadway tour of “Camelot” for Sunday afternoon and evening performances.

“I’ve wanted to be on Broadway for quite a while now, so it’s going to be quite an experience,” he said. “There will be a lot more people, and high-quality sets, talent and costumes.”

Jameson, a sixth-grader at Woodridge Elementary, will be the first to perform in the 7:30 p.m. shows today and Friday. He previously has played in the roles of Jem Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Oliver in “Oliver! The Musical,” and Gavroche as an understudy in “Les Miserables.”

For “Camelot,” a musical filled with swords, medieval costumes and knights, Jameson said he’s preparing by reading all he can about the play and reviewing his lines.

“I’m going in for one little rehearsal,” he said. “I have some lines with King Arthur, and then I listen to King Arthur sing. I’m probably on stage five or six minutes.”

While Jameson’s other hobbies include singing, running, biking and skiing, he said “theater’s my main thing.” He also aspires to be on a Broadway stage in New York one day, so being in the touring production is a milestone, he said. This will be his 13th play.

“I’m really excited about getting to meet the cast and being able to perform in front of that many people,” Jameson said. “The costume looks really cool. I wear tights, and, like a tunic, and have a bow and arrow – I think – from looking at prior production photos.”

Brax, a Colbert homeschooled student, also arrives on the Best of Broadway stage with a broad local theater resume. Acting since age 8, he’s played Gavroche in Mt. Spokane High School’s “Les Miserables” production and performed in CYT’s “Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.”

The seventh-grader has another claim to fame: appearing in print advertisements with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the “Strong Against Cancer” campaign.

As a fan of dirt biking and reading, Brax said the news of being selected by “Camelot” management came as a surprise. He will perform in the Saturday afternoon and evening shows.

“I wasn’t going to audition, but my agent said I should, so we gave it a shot,” Brax said. “I’m looking forward to being in a professional play. It’s going to be fun just getting to see what happens in these types of plays, what goes on backstage, and what they do to prepare.”

Brax, shy at a younger age, said he now wants to do theater and films for as long as he can.

“I got over being shy, but there’s always a little bit of nervousness,” he said. “I decided I like theater because I get to meet all these different people. When you’re cast, the different characters you play have all these different personalities. You’re getting to be a little bit of someone else.”