Actors on stage.
Shining lights above them.
Acting and singing their hearts out.
Crowds cheering and clapping.
But the question is,
How do they do it?
If you have been around Kelly Lane for a while you are probably familiar with the musical that the KLMS drama team puts on every semester. It’s filled with excitement but also hard work and determination. The students have been working very hard to get the new musical “Beetlejuice Jr.” just right. They work day to day after school to memorize every line and perfect every stage technicality. Our KLMS drama directors, Mrs. Henry, and Ms. Proveaux .
“I think the exciting part about being in the musical is working with so many unfamiliar students and their creative minds are really fun to work with. And, I also enjoy choreographing cast members” KLMS drama director and teacher, Alani Henry said.
Being in the musical is a very difficult but exciting experience. One of the key factors to being in the musical is bringing your character to life and knowing your line.
“I memorize my lines and bring my character to life by repeating my lines consistently and using hand motions to describe everything,” seventh grader Gabriella Lekoue said. “The way I bring my character to life is by watching other performances and actors to get the emotional feel of my character.”
If you try out, there is a possibility that you may not get the role you wanted. Even if you don’t get the character you wanted, you still have a chance to get into the musical. You may even like the new role you get more.
“The role that I originally auditioned for was ‘Sky’ because she had a whole song to herself, but instead I got ‘Parachute Jumper’,” seventh grader Yucheng Zhou said. “I wasn’t as happy when I found out I didn’t get the role I tried out for, but nonetheless I was still excited to be in the musical and be able to perform on stage.”
If acting is not your thing, then there are other options that you can try out for. One of the options is crew. The crew ranges from stage manager all the way to stage crew. There are lights, sound, and if you love makeup, there are special effects.
“What I like most about being assistant stage manager is that I get to be the boss and discipline people, but I also like being a helping hand to the stage manager and helping manage all of the cast and crew,” seventh grader Henley Coonen said.
