The Best of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper Funpaper issue 7 | Page 32
C
alifornia Dreaming gives you music
to stir up old memories and make
new ones. This third concert in
Gilmer Art's B.E.S.T Series will bring you
back to the days of 60's and 70's hippy rock
and roll. The seven person cast takes you on
a musical journey with songs by the Beach
Boys, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Byrds and
the Mamas and the Papas. I caught up with
the youngest cast member, 23 year old
Tyler Sarkist, to learn what it's like to be
doing some California Dreaming.
What is the cast like on this show?
We are a very eclectic group of people. We all come
from different walks of life. Our lead guy is from New
Zealand and he is in his late forties. And I am in my
twenties from Kentucky. I am getting to know all these
different people, who have done different things, gone
different places. But they are all so fun and energetic.
We fight like brothers and sisters, but we all love each
other a lot.
Can you describe the show?
It's more of a concert. We sing the Mama and Papa's,
The Fifth Dimension. All the songs we sing have great
messages behind them. We are really attached to the
songs.
You are obviously not old enough to have heard
these songs when they came around the first time.
No. They sent me a list of them, and I'm expecting to
know a couple of them. But I didn't know any of them.
How did you learn the songs?
They sent us a CD and I put it on my iPod and played it
through my headphones on repeat for a couple weeks. I
didn't latch on to them until we started doing rehearsals, and then I was like, these are amazing songs.
So did your parents know these songs?
They said they were turning into teenagers. But they
knew all the songs because their parents listened to
them.
How did you end up starring in this musical?
Most of the people in this show had auditioned at a theater conference. But the pianist they hired couldn't do
the show. So they talked to a friend of mine who suggested me, and I sent in a video and they said, "So do
you want to be in the show?" It was the easiest process
I've ever been through.
How do you like it?
I'm having H