Dozens of city high students line the hall, singing various songs from Mamma Mia as they prepare to audition. After auditions have been held for over a two day period, rehearsal has finally begun. With over 100 people who auditioned, the cast consists of 13 principal roles and 49 people in total.

Preparation for auditions includes practicing a dance and a song of their choice. A group of adults work behind the scenes to create Mamma Mia, including Mrs. Darby as the director, Mrs. Staak as the choreographer, Mr Lestina as backstage head, and more.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the amazing team of adults who have signed on for this production because it’s going to be so fun to have these partners in making the show happen and providing these experiences for students,” Mrs. Darby said. “And I think the thing that is most exciting is when younger students come to see it and you can just see the wonder and the joy in their faces. And I hope that this is a show that brings a lot of families and a lot of kids who do come see it and are inspired to try theater themselves in the future.”

According to lead choreographer, Mrs. Staak, Mamma Mia will be a great opportunity to sharpen skills and talents such as singing, dancing and acting.

“If you’ve never been on stage, this is a really great one because there’s so many roles and so many roles for people that maybe aren’t super comfortable having a solo part so I think this will be a good opportunity to just meet new people and have fun,” Mrs. Staak said.

The cast has 13 principal roles and a large ensemble. One part of the ensemble will be mostly dance heavy while the other isn’t.

“I think it’ll be pretty competitive. There’s a lot of students that are trying out and a lot of students that haven’t necessarily done musicals or plays in the past. But I mean, 10 principal roles is quite a few and then also having a pretty large ensemble, I think there’s a good chance that people will be able to be a part of the musical in some way.” Says Mrs. Staak.

Mrs. Darby hopes to motivate everyone to be a part of the musical, whether that be auditioning or being a part of the crew.

“I would just like to make a pitch again that we really do encourage people who have never done theater and never considered themselves theatrical people to come and participate and to find a home for themselves in the theater program,” says Mrs. Darby. “We want to make this something that is accessible to as many people as possible. So, if there are concerns or questions about whether you’ll be able to make it work with whatever other needs there are. Let’s open up that conversation and see what we can do. To make this the most inclusive space possible.”