03 Dec 2023 Kid of the Month: Mabel Miller
By Mark Oliver
Everything that Mabel Miller touches turns to gold.
First cast in “Oliver” last year, the 9-year-old actress has quickly captured the hearts of the 501’s theater community. From her bubbly personality to her passionate performances, it’s easy to see why everyone adores the young starlet.
“Acting is a lovely opportunity,” Mabel said. “I love being on stage, and I love singing and dancing. When you have fun doing what you love, it brings both the character and the spirit to the production.”
Mabel’s favorite part of acting is immersing herself into the world of the story alongside her cast members.
“It’s so fun to be in a show and work with the cast,” Mabel said. “Acting on stage beside them and dancing and singing beside them is just lovely. You learn from them, you get inspired from them and they become your new friends.”
After mesmerizing audiences with roles in “Cinderella” and “Matilda” earlier this year, Mabel recently landed her first lead role as Susan Walker in “Miracle on 34th Street” and is hard at work preparing for Argenta Community Theater’s upcoming production in North Little Rock.
“Mabel is such a joy to work with, and she nailed this audition,” Argenta Community Theater Producing Artistic Director Vincent Insalaco said. “Her dedication and exceptional growth in our summer education program and her performance during Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ also made it evident that she was the perfect fit for this iconic role. Her genuine portrayal of Susan Walker brings a heartwarming authenticity to the character. Mabel’s presence, as well as that of all the talented children in our production, is the true embodiment of the magic that makes Argenta Community Theater so special.”
For Mabel, “Miracle on 34th Street” is the perfect story to inspire holiday cheer.
“‘Miracle on 34th Street’ is a story about believing,” Mabel said. “I love the story and the relationship between the characters. Working with our cast has been magical. Our production has also added Christmas carols to bring joy into the show, too.”
Boasting a professional work ethic at a young age, Mabel puts in the time to perfect her craft before the curtain rises each night.
“Practice makes perfect,” Mabel said. “I’m always practicing my lines. Before I go on stage, I also do warmups to make sure I’m ready. Connecting with the cast is helpful, too. It helps bring your character to life.”
Balancing both a busy production schedule and homework can be a daunting task for any youngster. According to Mabel, when you love what you do, it’s never work. “Besides acting, I also do dance classes and musical theater,” Mabel said. “Being homeschooled makes it a little easier for me to juggle everything. Between my schedule and my brothers also being in school and sports, we stay pretty busy.”
As her stage presence continues to grow throughout Central Arkansas, Mabel draws inspiration from family as well as timeless classics.
“Some of my favorite works are ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘Matilda,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Jingle Jangle,’” Mabel said. “I’m a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Julie Andrews, too. I have two family members who act in movies and shows, and they inspired me to start performing. It’s so fun to be on stage. I just love it.”
Outside of acting, Mabel loves reading, singing, dancing, writing plays and making friends, and she dreams of becoming an actress or a dance teacher. The daughter of Stephen and Lindsey Miller, Mabel enjoys playing with her three brothers, Woods (7), Huck (5) and Thad (2), and spending time with her dogs, Kuba and Lolly, and her bunny, Mango.
“We’re very excited for Mabel,” Lindsey said. “She grew up in Rwanda in East Africa. We just moved here a couple of years ago. This is all very new and fun. It’s neat that she’s found what she loves and has jumped in. I get nervous for her but she doesn’t feel that. She loves it. It’s really neat to see her come alive and find something that she loves so much.”
“Miracle on 34th Street” is featured at the Argenta Community Theater in North Little Rock from Dec. 6-17. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit argentacommunitytheater.org.
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