The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by Stephen Brashear

Amy Heumann, playing Maria in 'The Sound of Music,' teaches the Von Trapp children to sing during a brush-up rehearsal.

Teacher on a role in 'The Sound of Music'

Kennedy's Heumann a perfect fit for the part

By Katherine Petersen

Amy Heumann has a lot in common with Maria, the lead role she plays in the Sunnyvale Community Players' production of The Sound of Music. Heumann, a full-time instructor at Kennedy Junior High School, teaches students about dance, music and theater. Maria, a governess for the seven Von Trapp children, teaches them to sing.

And both women tend to bend the rules. Maria climbs trees and sings when she's not supposed to, and Heumann has been known to disrupt a class or two by singing in the halls and giving demonstrations of the twist on tables while nine-months pregnant.

"I'm so much like that role," she said. "It's a good part for me to jump back into acting with. It's not that much of a stretch."

Heumann's good rapport with children was the top reason she was picked to play Maria, said director Amy Zsadanyi-Yale, who also works as a costume designer.

"She has a wonderful voice," Zsadanyi-Yale said. "And she personally fit in with Maria as a character. She's a very spunky person who has a ton of energy, and it goes hand in hand with the character development."

Heumann's presence at rehearsals and on stage has helped many of the younger actors in the performance. For many, this is their first time acting in front of an audience.

"We have a great bunch of kids," Zsadanyi-Yale said. "Acting helps their self-esteem and confidence and can help them in the future if they have to give a speech in class or something."

Performing in front of kids, who move their lips while she sings and smile at her on stage, gives Heumann energy, she said.

She is quite familiar with The Sound of Music after acting in three different roles in the show, including Maria at age 16. Now, at age 33 and after 10 years of directing, she was ready to return to the stage.

"I missed performing myself," she said. "I haven't been able to sing many places because I've been busy behind the scenes."

What amazes many people about Heumann is that she manages her teaching job, play rehearsals and performances and a 2-month-old baby without looking exhausted. The secret is that no one sees the piled-up laundry in her house, Heumann smiled.

"I'm hyper," she said. "It's no accident that I teach junior high. My baby is delightful, my job is hysterical and acting at night is awesome. I just don't worry about the little things."

At Kennedy, Heumann directs two musicals a year, most of which she writes herself. Not many musicals offer parts for as many as 90 students, the number she sometimes has in her shows.

"I want everyone to have a part," she said. "Many times I'll write a script around a collection of fun songs."

Last year, Kennedy students performed Wiz Kids, in which students played wizards on a TV contest show to see who had the best spell. Two years ago, Heumann wrote her own script around some familiar songs from Cats. The main cat had just died after its ninth life, and it was trying to get into heaven. Each of its nine lives was acted out so a jury could determine if each was a good one or bad one.

Heumann, this year's teacher of the year in the Cupertino Union School District, also teaches at the Sunnyvale Music Theatre Camp. "It shows me the district recognizes and values the performing arts," she said.

The Sound of Music runs through Oct. 12 at the Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale. Tickets cost $12.50 for students and seniors and $15.50 for adults. Show times are Thu.-Sat. at 8 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 5, at 7 p.m.; and Sun., Oct. 12, at 2:30 p.m. Call 733-6611 for tickets.

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