Savvy Heads To Howell, Michigan To Film TV Series
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Ron Stern of Stern-LeMaire Productions, Inc. announced that The Woodlands-based teen pop recording group known as "Savvy" is moving to Howell, Michigan to start filming 26 episodes of "The Wannabes" on August 3.
Packing their bags for six months, the Savvy artists Alan Shaw, Andrew Bowen Stern, Drew Reinartz, Mariah Parks, Sarah Gabrielle LeMaire and Shaylen Carroll have been cast to star in the series. Savvy was formed in 2004 by Christine LeMaire and since then the group has recorded a CD, filmed a DVD and several music videos, television pilot; and performed over 400 live concerts, including a national mall tour for Radio Disney.
The artists all are triple threats and have been living their dreams and following their passions.
Two additional Texas actors will be co-starring in the show, Steven Scott will play the owner of a sweet shop and David LaDuca will portray the stuffy school principal in this comedy series. The remaining cast and extras will be cast in Michigan.
Filming was first proposed to be done in Houston, Texas, however because of the Michigan film industry's huge incentive program the location was changed.
Stern stated, "Partnering with S3 Entertainment Group (S3EG) who are the leading provider of services to the film industry in Michigan has become a most successful collaboration."
Jeff Spilman, managing partner of S3EG stated, "Involving local youth and experienced actors in The Wannabes is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Michigan's exceptional talent base and work force to the larger out of state film industry."
Also partnering is Showcase Entertainment, Inc. a Los Angeles based sales and Distribution Company. They have successfully licensed internationally the series to countries all around the globe. The show will be shopped for domestic licensing after the filming of the first several episodes."
The half-hour comedy sitcom follows a group of freshman teens attending a performing arts academy boarding school where they assume they'd learn to be pop stars, but unfortunately not. The stuffy academy only teaches the classics: ballet, instrumental music, and Shakespeare. After a contemporary singing battle in the student lounge, the five teens are given one week of punishment to work at a local café, for free! Fortunately for them, the daughter of the café owner, played by Sarah Gabrielle LeMaire, shares the same hopes of becoming a pop star.
She coaxes her dad into letting her and the academy students rock out at the café, but the café owners gets his own ideas. The owner will allow them to rock out every week but the kids have to be in funny disguises promoting his specials of the week. The series will follow these wannabe pop stars as they learn to tolerate, but appreciate their high school career and really enjoy their secret life as pop stars. And the audience will see how funny things can get as they try to climb their way to the top of the pop charts. Hiding their identity from their strict principal won't be easy but they'll do anything to keep singing and dancing the way they like it – Savvy style!
The series was created by writer/producer, Doreen Spicer (Disney Channel's hit movie "Jump In!" & "The Proud Family") and will be directed by one of Disney's finest directors, Eric Dean Seaton (Sonny With A Chance", That's So Raven, Cory in the House, Suite Life of Zack & Cody). Spicer, LeMaire and Stern will work as executive producers on the series that begins filming August 3, 2009.