Men of the Mount Musical
Theater is not a traditional part of the experience here at the school. It often passes under the radar, with few students making the leap to participate in the fall musical or spring play. However, a small contingent put their skills on display.
Mount St. Mary Academy (commonly called ‘Mount’) partners with the school in a system where Mount operates and directs the fall musical while Catholic High runs a spring play. Students at both schools have the opportunity to participate in either production. The Mount will perform “The Little Mermaid” at the Catholic High auditorium from November 4 – 7.
Theater is a long-term commitment for many cast members, making their choice to participate in the musical an easy one. “I enjoy participating in musical theater and have been doing it since I was 12 years old,” said junior Evan Johnson.
However, some students participated for other reasons. “Honestly, a big reason was that I wanted to look well-rounded on a college application,” said senior Owen Fraley. “It also just seemed really fun. It’s something I always kind of wanted to do in the back of my mind. But at this school, there is a lot of stigma around doing musicals.
“However, it’s my last year here so I am not really concerned with what people think anymore. I saw the musical last year and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves, so I figured that I might as well try out since this is my last chance since I’m a senior.”
The process to become part of the cast was no cakewalk, as it involves several actions on multiple dates. “First are the virtual auditions,” said Johnson. “Next was a dance call where we did a small bit of choreography. A few days before the cast list comes out, a select group of students gets ‘callbacks’ which are the second round of auditions including a song and scene from the show. Finally, the cast list is posted.”
One of the favorite parts of being in the cast is the environment. Fraley said, “I just like the fun atmosphere at practice. All the theater people are really chill and that makes it a lot more enjoyable. It’s also really cool to get into character. It’s kind of cringe at first, but if you just accept it and lean into it, then it ends up pretty fun. And it’s interesting to learn all this new theater stuff because it’s something I’ve never really done before.”
The school only has five students participating out of a cast of over 20, but the enjoyment of participation is high regardless. Johnson said, “My favorite part of being in a musical is the community that is built within the cast. When you spend two months with a group of people you become a ‘little family.’”
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