Perry Ehrlich is a Richmond-based lawyer by day, but at night and on weekends, he puts on his musical impresario hat, working with young talent through a musical theatre training camp.
It has become a tradition that hundreds of teenagers throughout B.C. gather at the Jewish Community Centre each summer for Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!, an intensive musical theatre program created and directed by Ehrlich since the mid-1990s.
Currently, the musical program is looking for new participants aged nine to 19 to join their upcoming training camp. The application deadline is April. 1, and the summer camp faculty has begun to schedule auditions.
The program is open to music enthusiasts from different cultural backgrounds, and what they have in common is a love of singing, dancing, entertaining and acting, said Ehrlich.
“I tell them on the first day at Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! If you like me, call me Uncle Perry. If you don’t like me, call me boss, because no one likes their boss,” said Ehrlich who, when he’s not a lawyer, is known by his students as “Uncle Perry.”
For the past 25 years, Ehrlich has not only provided a stage for young performers to showcase their skills and talents, but also a place to overcome grief and sadness in life.
“People think I want to groom people to prepare them (for) stage, that’s not true. I want to prepare them for life...Students involved in the program become doctors, lawyers and engineers, because (the camp) gives them confidence in life,” said Ehrlich, adding that music could also be used as a medicine for life.
“We had a family from Richmond and the mother had breast cancer. During that period of time, they came to Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! They were able to escape the sadness and pain. I feel pleased about that.”
Many people might find juggling more than one job challenging but, for Ehrlich, that doesn’t apply because his role as music director affords him a sense of life purpose and passion by giving back to the community.
Ehrlich also directs ShowStoppers, a dynamic troupe of teenagers who perform in concert, on T.V. and radio, and at numerous awards and galas throughout B.C.
For more information about Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!, visit online at TheImpresario.ca.
