Brandi McClaran is a familiar face to theater audiences in Trussville and Leeds – she’s appeared in shows such as “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Newsies” – but since 2022, she’s stayed mostly behind the scenes, both as a director of shows and as theater arts director at the Leeds Arts Council.
And though her day job is working in human resources, she calls theater her “hobby, passion and full-time obsession.”
Her upcoming schedule bears that out.
“Anastasia” opens Leeds’ 2024-2025 season on Thursday, marking the fourth show she’s directed in the past 18 months. She’s co-directing “Anastasia” with Carrie Self, and then co-directing “Young Frankenstein” with Curtis Frost, directing Leeds’ “Christmas Extravaganza” and directing the final show of the season, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” (She is not directing “You Can’t Take It With You,” which is also on the season).
“Anastasia,” in particular, is an ambitious project for the theater troupe. The lush musical, about the legend of the princess who may or may not have survived the execution of Russia’s Imperial family, is largely set in Paris, with key scenes taking place on a train headed to France.
“We do have a train, and it spins,” McClaran says. “I’m really happy about the train.”
She’s also happy about the large cast. More than 60 people auditioned for the show, a record for a Leeds Arts Council production.
“I felt like we’d be able to secure the talent to pull it off, and I’m happy to say we did,” the director says of her cast, which includes Janie Spratley, Blake Echols, Scot Self, Jon McClaran, Lynne Nunally and Ellen Mitchell.
McClaran says the theater program has been undergoing a “metamorphosis” in the past couple of years in Leeds. There’s more of a defined season of shows than in previous years, and the 110-seat theater has undergone renovations, including a new sound system. The Leeds Arts Council also presents concerts and monthly art shows at the venue.
“We have a fresh new look and fresh new programming we think are drawing people who want to see some quality shows,” she says. “We have some talented musicians and actors helping us to create that environment for us. … We’re definitely getting our name out there and drawing bigger crowds. We’re focused on being the best theater we can be.”
