BY MADDISON FARRIS
Twin sisters from Sunnyside are among the stars of an upcoming TADA Youth Theatre production coming to Manhattan.
Keep an eye out for 13-year-olds Mira and Hallie Meola, as well as fellow rising Queens actors, as they bring “How to Eat Like a Child” to life at 15 West 28th St., between Broadway and 5th Avenue.
The show was originally produced in 1981 as a TV special with non-other than Dick Van Dyke and consists of a series of instructional numbers that will inform you and your friends on topics such as “how to torture your sister” or “how to beg for a dog.”
TADA is the first-ever theatre to cast the production with no adult characters, leaving the attention of the audience solely on the talents of the children.
Many now-famous actors have come through TADA Youth Theatre, such as Jordan Peele from “Key & Peele” and Ricardo Zayas from the Broadway show “Hamilton.”
“Performing with TADA! has given me more confidence, and when I grow up I want to do something where I can be the boss, like maybe become a movie director,” said Mira Meola. TADA does not just want to teach children about the fun and beauty of fine arts, but also the skills that they will need as they grow up and move on from the youth theatre. TADA wants to build up the confidence of each child as well as teach them good communication and leadership skills.
You can catch the Meola sisters and her fellow Queens residents — 9-year-olds Clauida Fabella and Julien Jobson-Larkin, 10-year-old Vivian Defalco and 12-year-old Jon Luc Jobson-Larkin — on stage from Feb. 15 through March 8.
Visit www.tadatheater.com/buy-tickets for a full list of performances.
