With a great-grandmother who was a showgirl and George White Scandal dancer (Broadway revues modeled after the Ziegfield Follies) who appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, and a family steeped in musical theater, it’s no wonder that Christine Barclay founded the Barclay Performing Arts theater in 2016 as a way to honor her late father, John Barclay.
John Barclay was a director, educator, actor, and founder of the Weston Drama Workshop in Weston, MA.
“My dad was an amazing director who always found a way to bring out the very best in each and every person, whether on the stage or behind the scenes,” remembers Christine Barclay.
It is to his memory and passion that she dedicates herself and her work. “There’s no better person to be the beacon for this theater in Boca Raton,” she says.
“My dad created confident, articulate young people and made a big difference in the lives of his students,” Barclay says. “I hope to do the same.”
The theater, located next to T.J. Maxx in the Somerset Shoppes in Boca Raton, helps students of all ages find their voice, creativity, and confidence. Before moving to this location, Barclay worked out of the Boca Black Box theater on Glades Road.
Her opening production, entitled “Spring Awakening,” is forever etched in her mind.
Pregnant with her now 3-year-old daughter Caroline and about to give birth in February 2018, the tragedy occurred at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Many of the MSD students were performing in the production.
“The cast decided to move forward with the show,” recalls Barclay, who by that time was on maternity leave. “It was one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life.”
“To watch these kids travel to the White House, meet with then-President Barack Obama, then board a red-eye back to Boca for rehearsals, all while mourning their friends, was just incredible,” she says.
“I’m so proud of their survival and the emotional, physical, and mental resilience of our team and that of the community,” Barclay says. “Getting through those shows after the tragedy and giving birth was a moment that fully made me realize my responsibilities.”
“I wanted to ensure my company was there to support these kids and to transition to a space with a purpose and mission to change the world,” she says.
“We want to be a community center where kids and others can come to feel safe and have a platform in which to express themselves.”
Before relocating to Florida in 2012, Barclay was the executive assistant to Marc Tumminelli, founder of the Broadway Workshop in New York City, and she was a resident member of the theater faculty for the Rodeph Sholom School in Manhattan.
She performed, directed, and choreographed for many theaters and schools, including the Kew Forest School and the Looking Glass Theatre in New York. In addition to acting, she has directed, choreographed, stage-managed, and performed in numerous productions in New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, and Pennsylvania.
During the pandemic, Barclay produced 10 virtual, live-streamed performances including “Schoolhouse Rock,” “Fame Jr.,” “Band Geeks: The Musical,” and the concert version of “Guys and Dolls.”
She is currently in production for “Peter Pan,” “Urinetown: The Musical,” and “Willie Wonka.”
“We worked just as hard during quarantine as we did previously,” says Barclay, who in addition to her 3-year-old is raising three stepchildren.
Lewis Singer, 53, a chiropractor at Singer Family Chiropractic in Boynton Beach, had his first acting role 22 years ago in “Sweet Charity” at the Lake Worth Playhouse when he played the hippie preacher, known as “Big Daddy.”
Fast forward to 2015, where Singer was in the audience at the Barclay theater to support some acting friends, when he noticed one of their upcoming shows was “Fun Home,” the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist, which won five Tony Awards including Best Musical that year.
“I knew I had to be a part of it,” Singer remembers. He had seen the road show in Tampa and says “to my shock and disbelief, I landed my dream role of the father, Bruce Bechdel. This is the role of a lifetime.”
“I fell in love with Christine and fell in love with the mission of her theater,” says Singer, who also sings and plays keyboard in an ’80s cover band called Livin’ the 80s.
“She’s amazing, and her vision and mission of caring for the community using her theater as the vehicle for this are amazing as well. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her,” he says.
Barclay is working with the nonprofit Find Your Voice Foundation, a social enterprise company that gives creative companies a voice with which to share their story with the end goal of establishing their own theater and venue. She hopes the theater will be a gathering place for people in the community.
“If anyone feels like they’re missing something in their life, a spark of interest, motivation, friendship, or someone to hug, somewhere to walk in a door and sit down and be exactly who you are, we’re the space for you,” Barclay says. “You don’t need to be on Broadway. If you need somewhere to be and be the best version of yourself, we’ll find a space for you.”
“We want to be a ball of light for our community,” says Barclay.
For more information, visit barclayperformingarts.com.