Glenview native Aurora Penepacker was only 3 when “Amélie” debuted in 2001. The film — about an eccentric young woman living in Paris’s Montmartre neighborhood who secretly orchestrates small acts of kindness — would go on to become a cult classic and one of the largest-grossing French movies of all time.
“I had seen the poster all the time when I was growing up, but when I was young, I thought it was scary. She had a kind of scary smile, but the movie is a masterpiece,” Penepacker said.
Penepacker now plays the titular role in Kokandy Productions’ musical “Amélie,” based largely off the film and set to open at the Chopin Theatre July 17. The part requires her to act, sing and play the piano. To prepare for the audition, she watched the movie and realized its broader influence and relatability.
“I could see the impact it had on the culture. A lot of Francophile things in society can be traced back to it,” Penepacker said. “Also, I’m around Amélie’s age. She lives alone in a city, as do I. I understand more now what she was going through.”
In just a few years on the city’s theater scene, Jeff Award-winning Kokandy Productions has built a reputation for creatively staging ambitious musical productions (“Into the Woods,” “American Psycho”) on a storefront budget. That means no orchestras or dedicated accompanists, like you’d find on Broadway: In Kokandy’s “Amelie,” actors are not only singing and acting but playing the show’s music live.
For Penepacker, landing this role was especially meaningful; she had auditioned before for shows with Kokandy but had never gotten the nod until now.
“This is a theater company that I’ve been watching and auditioning for since I was in college,” she said.
To find the dozen actors who make up the cast, the Kokandy team auditioned nearly 600 people, according to co-musical director Anna Wegner, who said they ended up adding some instruments like ukulele and accordion to the show.
And while the production follows the same storyline as the film, the sound is different, coming from the 2013 musical written by Craig Lucas and featuring lyrics from Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé.
“The score is quite different,” said co-musical director T.J. Anderson. “The movie is more like contemporary classical, while this is more of a standard musical. A lot of the music is folk-pop and also some contemporary Broadway with a French flair.”
Because the actors will be playing instruments, instead of a traditional orchestra in a pit, there are some unique challenges, Wegner said.
“As we transition between scenes, we’ll have to make sure everyone has their instruments in the right spot and make sure they have enough time to switch instruments if they are doing that,” she said.
But like the film, the theme of this production is simple, according to Derek Van Barham, the director of the show and the company’s artistic director.
“Even though it’s not overtly political, there’s this lovely message of being good to one another. I think it’s a message we can all enjoy right now,” Van Barham said.
Like some previous Kokandy musicals, the show will be staged in the basement theater of the Chopin, which features a cafe-like setting and a bar. Van Barham said he wants the audience to feel like they are at the Two Windmills Cafe, a.k.a. Café des 2 Moulins — the place where Amélie works and the main setting of the musical.
“The Chopin decor is like flea market meets European meets spiritual center, and the show starts as soon as you walk in the door, in terms of the vibe,” he said. Even the bar and cafe lobby will be incorporated into the event, he added, “because it so perfectly fits into the aesthetic of ‘Amélie.’”
In addition, Van Barham said they plan to immerse the audience’s senses by serving summer drinks and brewing coffee so the smell wafts through the space, giving the theatergoers the feeling that they are in a Parisian cafe.
Van Barham said while many love the movie, it is not essential to have seen it beforehand.
“It’s close enough to the movie that those who love the film will be really excited about it, but it also leaves a little room for surprise. The music takes it into a different realm,” he said. “You don’t have to know the movie to enjoy the musical.”
Penepacker noted that while the film is 24 years old, the story may be more relatable now than when the world was first introduced to Amélie.
“Watching it recently, I was struck by how Amélie was homeschooled and not allowed to talk to other kids,” she said. “There’s a whole generation of people right now who do not really know how to engage or interact with others. The story is ripe for a comeback because we need to understand why we need other people.”
Anderson said he hopes the audience will carry its lessons forward after they leave the theater.
“The show is all about kindness and the joy that can be found in helping others,” he said. “The joy that comes from simple moments, the joy that comes from helping yourself as well. We’re trying to find that charm and emotional impact, and in a way, it’s a bit of a break from everything in the world.”