Mall Kids on the Move : Talent: A troupe of 24 local high school students, mostly from the Valley, will take their rock and musical theater act to Expo ’92 in Spain.

“Express yourself!” Singer Jody Hastings belted out the words, as she brushed aside four male dancers vying for her attention.

In the food court of Fallbrook Mall in Woodland Hills, a crowd of 200 cheered between bites as the 18-year-old blond singer, a Madonna look-alike, whirled to the pulsing downbeat.

Hastings is a member of the Kids of Rock Theatre, a performing workshop that has entertained Southern California audiences at shopping malls, corporate fund-raisers, theme parks and on television for more than 10 years. Most of the group’s 24 singers and dancers attend high school in the San Fernando Valley.

With a repertoire ranging from “Les Miserables” to the Talking Heads, this summer the group is leaping beyond the walls of malls to attend the 1992 Universal Exposition in Seville, Spain.

The six-month international extravaganza, which opened this month, will showcase industry, agriculture and the arts, highlighting talents from various countries, such as the Kids of Rock Theatre from the United States.

“They were selected because they do anything from rock music to Broadway musicals equally well,” said Mauri Wagner, director of cultural affairs for the U.S. Pavilion Committee in Washington. “They are a very talented young and energetic group of kids who are very professional in their presentation.”

The Kids of Rock Theatre was one of 150 acts chosen from 300 vying to represent the country’s ethnic background in the U.S. Pavilion. It will be among American Indian entertainers, jazz musicians and country singers, Wagner said.

Earning the respect of the U.S. Pavilion judges was not the only hurdle the Kids of Rock Theatre had to face in their quest for center stage in Seville. Each performer has to raise about $2,400 to cover round-trip air fare, accommodations, ground transportation and some meals.

The group is waiting to hear if it will receive a grant from the U.S. Pavilion Committee, said Muriel Stone, co-producer for the group. In the meantime, the kids have begun recycling aluminum cans and holding bake sales and garage sales. Details are also being worked out for fund-raising concerts, including a dinner benefit to be held before the group leaves July 22.

Although its members were chosen for their musical and dancing talent, the troupe also reflects Los Angeles’ ethnic diversity. Kids of Rock Theatre includes Latino, African-American, Asian-American, Jewish and Filipino performers.

Originally called the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the troupe evolved into the Kids of Rock Theatre when the current director and co-producer, Greg Holford, came on board in 1982.

Holford, who had been an assistant director for the television musical “Fame,” blended the conceptual design of the TV show with the group’s original choral style and came up with a cross between a rock concert and musical theater.

At Fallbrook Mall last month, the group performed an operatic, a capella version of the revived Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” revived by the movie “Wayne’s World.” The audience roared with applause at the end of the song.

Singing lead on “Bohemian Rhapsody” was veteran group member Robert Zaher of La Crescenta. The 20-year-old singer joined the group as a pianist in 1980, trained his voice with the group and is now one of its leading baritones.

“I used to be the youngest member. I didn’t do much--just played the piano,” Zaher said. “I kept working on my voice, and during 1988 and 1989, I decided I wanted to take on major stuff. Now it’s no problem.”

The young performers practice 10 hours a week and give an average of four performances a month, in addition to maintaining their normal school schedules. What keeps them motivated, they say, are, variously, dreams of soloing on Broadway, acting in a blockbuster movie and overcoming shyness by performing before live audiences.

Holford sees the schedule as helpful. “When these kids are ready to leave, they know what it’s like to be a performer,” he said.

The Fallbrook Mall lets them practice every Saturday, at no charge, in a room there. In exchange, the group gives free performances in the food court of the mall on the last Sunday of each month.

“This is helping me to learn to perform,” said 13-year-old Mandy Gonzales of Saugus. “If I want to be on Broadway, I don’t just have to know how to sing. I have to know how to dance and use the microphones. This teaches me everything.”

Gonzales has the distinction of being the youngest person allowed to join Rock Theatre. She was 8 at the time and an exceptional singer, Holford said.

“She was so strong, and at such a young age,” he said. “She has a musical theater voice, and at 8, she had the voice of a 16-year-old.”

Although she says the exposure and experience are what attracted her to the Kids of Rock Theatre, Gonzales said, the camaraderie is what keeps her there.

“I love to perform with them. There is such a feeling of love on the stage,” Gonzales said, her eyes lighting up. “Everyone loves and supports each other. It’s like we’re a family.”

Holford and Matt Stone, a performer in the group, conduct a two-hour voice and dance workshop at the Fallbrook Mall every Saturday for $12.50 a week. Children and youths ages 11 to 19 are invited to audition for the classes. When the students have completed eight weeks of instruction and are confident, they can audition to be a part of the performing group. Holford said a few very talented performers have joined the Rock Theatre without taking the workshops beforehand.

Students who join Rock Theatre pay $250 for each three-month term.

Some of the performers just use the experience to gain confidence.

Sabrina Cooper, 17, a singer and dancer who lives in North Hollywood, was in the voice and dance workshops and was just accepted into the performing group this semester.

“I’m looking far into my future,” she said. “I do not see performing as my true love, but it is getting me to open up and overcome my shyness.”

Aspiring actor Christopher Dart, 18, auditioned for the group in June after he read an advertisement in a community newspaper.

“I’ve grown a lot since I got here,” the Granada Hills High School student said. “This group has helped me grow and given me performing experience.”

The Kids of Rock Theatre performs free at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the food court in the Fallbrook Mall, 6633 Fallbrook Ave., Canoga Park. Call (818) 768-2037.