By Susan Lin
"I grew up in the theater," said Dan Yates, 43, one of the nine Yates children. "We've always traveled around doing shows. It wasn't until I got older that I realized not everyone would hop into vans and drive off from theater to theater," he said.
The days when the entire Yates family performed together are in the past, though. With the addition of 18 grandchildren, it would be a feat to cast all 29 members of the family in one musical. Moreover, as Bill and Peggy Yates's children have grown older, they have jobs and responsibilities that demand more of their time.
"Most of our children have moved on to other productions and Broadway. But whenever they have a chance, they come back and appear with us," said Bill Yates.
Four of the Yates were able to make it for the family's staging of "A Christmas Carol" at the Westbury Music Fair. Dan Yates will play Scrooge; his sisters Kathy and Marybeth will play the maid Belle and Belinda Cratchit, respectively; and their mother Peggy will be Mrs. Cratchit.
Yates Musical Theater will perform four runs of "A Christmas Carol" between Sunday, Dec. 9 and Friday, Dec. 14. This will be the 15th year the company is doing Scrooge at Westbury.
While many folksy, mom-and-pop shops are often associated with provinciality, Yates Musical Theater plays regularly to sold-out performances in New York, New Jersey, and parts of New England, including Boston and Cape Cod.
And many of the theaters they play in ask them back year after year. In addition to its stints at the Westbury Music Fair, Yates Musical Theater has staged "Scrooge" at a 1,200-seat house in New Jersey called The Papermill for each of the past 30 years. The five runs they are doing there this year has been sold out months ago. "Can you imagine that?" said Bill Yates.
Perhaps it can be called a talent: Bill and Peggy Yates are able produce musicals at a high level of professionalism with even though they hire actors from their pool of children.
"By having enough children, there's always someone to do a part," said Bill Yates, jokingly.
From experience, the couple has acquired skills on how to successfully employ family members. Many times two or more of the Yates children want to play the same role. "When they see the older one do it, then the younger ones want to do it as well. There's always that competition -- if he can do it, I can do it," Bill Yates said.
In deciding who gets the part, "the older one gets the nod for a while and then we ask the younger ones to take over," said Bill Yates.
Bill and Peggy Yates also have a few rules for their family members. "The role is very small in the beginning. If a person starts out with a very small part, it doesn't cast much weight on the play. But as they take hold, they get more to do and more to say," said Bill Yates.
For example, Dan Yates's first role at age six months was as the baby in his parent's staging of "The King and I." Today Yates has moved up to star as Scrooge at the Westbury Music Fair.
"What I like about the role is the character goes through a major change, and that's really the beauty of the story, to see a man have that transformation," Dan Yates said, about the role of Scrooge.
Bill and Peggy Yates also audition their children. They give the prospective actors something to read. "We hear them talk and ask if they are interested," Bill Yates said.
Bill and Peggy Yates first met each other through a singing teacher they both had. "She introduced us. She thought we would make beautiful music together," said Bill Yates.
They began performing together as a singing duet, and often appeared in theater productions. When they had their own children, the couple brought them into the act, too. Before long, Bill and Peggy made it official, forming the Yates Musical Theater.
Today, Bill and Peggy Yates still manage the company, albeit nowadays with some help from their grown children. The couple has no intention of stopping what they're doing.
"When you're having a wonderful time, and you eat and sleep well, there's no reason to change anything," said Bill Yates, who is 81.
At a Glance
'A Christmas Carol'
11 a.m. Sun., Dec. 9; Wed., Dec. 12;
Thurs., Dec. 13; Fri., Dec. 14.
Westbury Music Fair
960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury
(631) 888-9000
$15
