Actors are often told they should never appear with animals and children for fear of being upstaged. They should stay especially far from children who study with Trapper Felides — these kids will bury them alive.
At 29, Felides has become the go-to voice coach for pint-size triple threats. Students of his are belting it out in Broadway shows such as “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Mary Poppins” and “West Side Story.”
“Other people give voice lessons — I make careers happen,” says Felides.
Sure, there are plenty of little prodigies who didn’t need some young guy to help them make it onstage. But Felides’ enthusiasm and no-nonsense approach are winning him clients.
He spends large parts of his days helping his charges perfect songs, often standing as he plays the piano. “Flex your knees!” he instructs one girl. “Don’t be afraid to do cheesy stuff — very presentational,” he advises another.
And the kids love it, turning on a dime to give him what he wants.
“He gets them energized,” says Deanna, mother of Felides’ student Jake Evan Schwenke. “You need to rehearse with someone who can give you confidence, show you how to act. Other voice teachers don’t give you the whole package.”
Felides also helps the kids put together their “book” (the binder holding sheet music for auditions), something he’s particularly good at thanks to his knowledge of pop music past and present.
“If there’s anything that I specifically do, it’s choosing material for people,” he says.
The job can be very lucrative. “It’s not cheap to come to me,” Felides says. “My sliding scale is $100 to $500 an hour. Out-of-work actors have no money, but parents do.” Business is booming these days because the need for children who can act and sing has increased in recent years. In decades past, nobody batted an eye when 30-year-olds were cast in “Grease,” but since “Spring Awakening,” age-appropriate casting has become trendy.
Felides is very good at making the children feel at ease, which is crucial in a high-pressure environment.
Juliette Allen Angelo, 10, is one of the three girls playing Jane Banks in “Mary Poppins,” and explains she’s been performing since she was 8, appearing in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Billy Elliot.”
“And she’s a cool kid!” Felides pipes in, laughing. “She’s a normal kid.”
The stereotype of the capricious child performer is alive and well, but more often than not, it’s the parents who are the problem. Felides has a solution for that, too.
“If I see the mom mouthing the words, I think twice about taking on the kid,” he says.