Students are eagerly anticipating this year’s spring musical Beauty and the Beast. But who will rise to the occasion and be given the opportunity to play Belle, the Beast, or another character in this classic Disney movie’s cast? With many people vying for a role, auditions are here and potential cast members reveal how they feel about them. 

As for the reason they auditioned, naturally most were motivated by their love for acting. “I love to be on stage,” says junior Becca Houser. Senior Olivia Hilliard feels the same way stating, “I always love musicals so I really wanted to be a part of it.” Additionally, students such as freshman Christie Gorka thought this musical would be especially fun to audition for simply because of its title. “From the moment I heard about it, I really wanted to do it. Beauty and the Beastis one of my favorite movies,” she says. Yet musicals are different than plays since they have music scenes and it is this distinctness that further encouraged students to audition. Junior Bryce England for example, has been in a few of the school plays before, but has never been in a musical. Because of this, he decided to tryout, looking forward to the new experience. “I wanted to do something new and this will be something I have never done,” he states. Plus, getting the lead does look good on some applications. “It’ll look great on a resume,” says senior Jason Pickell.These people, however, were not the only ones who tried out for a part. With a limited amount of cast spots available, they will have competition. To get a role, students must not only have acting skills but vocal ones as well, as the tryout requires students to sing. Many find that practicing their material in advance, particularly the song they chose, will help them to snag the role.  “Since I went to state solo and ensemble for my solo, I have basically been practicing for 3 months to get prepared,” says Houser. Others, including Hillard and Gorka, have been practicing by familiarizing themselves more with the script, its characters, and by re-watching the movie itself.

While preparing for their auditions does help ease the nerves, some have found that they are still slightly nervous. After all, having to perform a solo in front of a group of people on stage can be intimidating, even to the most experienced of PHS actors. Senior Kelsey Shaffer, who has been casted as a lead several times in PHS’ previous productions, has endured moments of stage fright herself. Reflecting on a past experience in which she was required to sing, Shaffer says, “I auditioned last year and I got really scared and panicked during my tryout.” Several believe that what makes an audition so terrifying is the possibility of making a mistake in front of their peers. This is what worries Gorka the most. “The only thing I’m worried about is messing something up,” she says.  Though times like these are daunting, they have helped students gain confidence and become stronger performers.  Houser says, “[Auditions] show me that I can do whatever I want by facing my fears.”

Everyone encounters stage fright at one point or another, but there are a few exceptions.  England, for instance, does not seem to be overwhelmed one bit, even though he learned his song the day of his audition.  “I feel very confident that I will do very well,” he says. Yet he is not the only one who feels this way. As singing is a hobby of hers, Hilliard is looking forward to her tryout as well. “I love to sing in front of people. It doesn’t make me nervous it makes me excited!” she claims. Others, such as Pickell, do not feel anything towards the tryout. He states, “I feel nothing. I shall be one with the stage and with the audience.”

With many students auditioning, there will be much competition for each of the speaking roles. Even though some may not get the part they desire, students believe there are still benefits to trying out. A few feel that the advantage is simply gaining more experience. “It will help with auditions I could do in the future,” Hilliard says. In addition to experience, England feels that it will help him to grow as a performer and develop a stronger work ethic. “It makes me feel like I need to get better and try out in more auditions,” he says. For Shaffer, simply building up the courage to sing in front of her peers is an accomplishment itself. “I’ve never really had the guts to sing by myself in public, so when I audition, that in itself will be a victory,” she says.

Singing, competition, excitement, and nerves are all parts of the auditioning experience for this year’s spring musical. No matter what the results are, these students are more than happy they tried out and will discover the results this Friday.