He took the leap from ballet to Broadway.
Owen Selkirk takes on The Producers' role of Leo Bloom, a timid accountant, that teams up with down-on-his-luck producer, Max Bialystock, in a get-rich-quick scheme that shakes the very foundation of Broadway show business.
"I feel like I'm doing everything left handed," said Owen Selkirk, professional ballet dancer turned local Broadway musical star. "I see all my friends dancing over there and I feel like that's where I'm supposed to be. I am getting more comfortable with it and I am having fun with it but I'm not an actor or a singer. I just happen to be able to do those things. It's definitely a challenge and it's great but there's a lot of 'me' in this show."
Mel Brooks's The Producers, the Broadway musical with a record-breaking 12 Tony awards, is presented by Judy Russell at the air conditioned Prince George Playhouse July 26 to August 4.
"I always thought ballet was just for girls," said Selkirk. "Then I saw my first ballet class and everyone looked so superhuman I knew that's what I wanted to do. After trying most sports, I found ballet to be the most difficult thing I had ever done. Dance truly found me."
While most people start dance classes at about four years old, Selkirk was at Judy Russell's Enchainement Dance Centre at 15.
At 18, Selkirk was dancing professionally for Ballet Kelowna. He followed that with time in Vancouver earning his living as a dancer before his dad, Barry, was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident last fall. This prompted Selkirk to return to Prince George.
Then in December Selkirk was hired to dance in two Nutcracker ballets, flying to the Lower Mainland and back to P.G. to be with his dad. Selkirk, 21 at the time, had suffered an ankle injury just before taking on the two demanding roles, which just made it much worse, he said. The tendon and ligament injury developed into something so severe, it left him wondering if he would ever be able to dance again.
After months of physiotherapy, Selkirk was given the all clear to begin training again, and was accepted into a pre professional company, Coastal City Ballet in Vancouver, starting in September. He'll have to work his way back up to a professional level over the next year to fine tune his technique.
That's when Russell told Selkirk of the upcoming show, The Producers.
"My foot wasn't not good enough to move back to Vancouver to work so I thought I'd just dance in the show and be in the background and hang out with my friends," said Selkirk. "Everybody had to audition and Judy made me sing, which I really did not really want to do because I'm not a singer. But I sang. Everyone in the room was a bit surprised, I guess, because it got real quiet and then the next day Judy asked me if I would play Leo Bloom."
The first answer was a resounding no.
"This is so far out of my comfort zone, but then I realized that's where you grow the most as a person and performer," said Selkirk. "So I did this to challenge myself."
It was only after the first read-through that he realized what he'd gotten himself into by taking on the huge role.
"I'm learning so much about performing, singing and acting but it's a huge stretch for me and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't uncomfortable -- a lot," Selkirk said. "But I feel there's a lot of personal growth along the way and I'm learning a lot from Gil Botelho."
He's the co-star who plays Max Bialystock, the washed-up producer who comes up with the cockamamie idea of putting on a show no one wants to see.
"The show's going to be great," said Selkirk. ""Everyone's really talented. Gil helps me with the acting and I help him with the dance stuff."
Tickets are on sale at Studio 2880, 2880-15th Avenue or by calling 250-563-2880.
