The Muny's 2007 season

Three Daiker sisters win play roles for 1st time

Sisters Caroline, Annemarie and Olivia Daiker all will be appearing for the first time during the Muny's 2007 summer season. And they started this month with pre-season Muny Kids promotions.

The sisters have appeared in stage productions around town for several years. But this was the first time they won auditions for parts in the Muny's season in Forest Park.

Their first appearances will be as members of Muny Kids during a promotional tour. The Muny Kids make appearances to promote the season after tickets go on sale early in June.

Caroline Daiker

Thirteen-year-old Caroline said, "We do scenes from all the musicals as a revue."

(There are two youth organizations that act as "good-will ambassadors" for the Muny. They are the Muny Kids (ages 7-13) and the Muny Teens (ages 14-19).

(In addition to promoting the current season, the two groups appear at such community events as the Variety Club's Telethon and Fair St. Louis. In addition, there is a Muny Kids Holiday Show. To learn more, visit www.muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.)

The Muny Season The 2007 Muny season includes: "Oklahoma," June 18-24 "Grease," June 25-July 3 "Hello, Dolly," July 9-15 "Peter Pan," July 16-22 "The Pajama Game," July 23-29 "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," July 30-Aug. 5 "Les Miserables," Aug. 6-15

Ten-year-old Annemarie admits appearing on the Muny stage before her largest audience might be "a little scary." She's scheduled to be an Indian in the musical "Peter Pan."

Annemarie Daiker

Her older sister, 13-year-old Caroline, said, "I get more nervous during auditions." The girls prepared their own material for the Muny auditions earlier this spring.

Younger sister, 8-year-old Olivia, said she's not nervous at auditions or performances.

Caroline and Olivia said they will be in the chorus for the musical, "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat."

Caroline said her first stage appearance was at Stages St. Louis performance of "Free to Be" when she was either nine or 10. She said, "I was the evil step-sister of Penelope."

Olivia Daiker

Both Annemarie and Olivia started performing when they were 6. Annemarie said she was a Russian in the "Nutcracker" at COCA. Olivia's first part was as a mouse in the musical "Cinderella" at the Kirkwood Youth Theater.

The kids come from a family with performers. As a sideline, their father, Stephan, is the bass guitarist for a local rock band, "3rd Story." Their mother, Diane, competed in beauty contest when she was younger and acts in drama presentations at their church.

About her dad's musical skill, Annemarie said, "He's pretty good."

The girls said they'd all like to have a career as actors or singers. But, they said they realize they might need a Plan B.

Annemarie said, "I dream of being on Broadway." She'd like to appear in musicals.

Caroline said she'd also like to be on stage. But, if that doesn't work, she said, "I'd like to be a director."

Olivia said, if she can't be in the theater, "I'd like to work with pets as a vet."

The girls have taken different types of lessons to improve their performance chances. They've taken a variety of dance, ballet and voice lessons.

In costume, (l to r) Caroline, Annemarie, a friend, Zach Callison, and Olivia.

All three of the sisters said their best performing experience came in their appearances in "Aladdin, Jr." at the Kirkwood Youth Theater last fall. They said they made a lot of friends in the cast.

Caroline also remembered she had "one good line" in the play. She said, "I was a baker and said, 'Thief! Thief! Someone stole my bread.'"

But, they also had remembrances about performances that didn't go as planned.

Caroline said her worst experience came during a performance of "Seussical the Musical." She said, "I got the hiccups during one of the songs. But, I don't think anyone in the audience noticed."

Annemarie's toughest stage experience came a couple years ago in the "Wizard of Oz." In that play, Toto was played by a real dog that decided to relieve himself while on stage. She said she and other cast members put up with the smell and had to watch where they stepped for nearly two whole scenes before cleanup was accomplished.

Olivia said her worst time also came during the "The Wizard of Oz." She said a friend of hers didn't get to the theater in time. "But, the director thought it was me that was missing," she added.

The girls attend school at Visitation Academy. Caroline is in 7th grade, Annemarie in 4th grade and Olivia in 2nd grade.