Abby, playing Elle Woods, took on the lead role in Legally Blonde. As the lead character, Abby took on a great responsibility as being a senior leader for underclassmen and leading the show. When asked about the skills it takes to become a great leader in theater, she responded, “Theater is one of my favorite things in the world, and it is so much better when I get to do it with my friends. We really put our hearts and souls into this production, and I’m so happy that it turned out the way that it did. We would rehearse every day after school, from 3-6 (sometimes later), and every Saturday for 4 hours. It was a lot, but so worth it.” The hard work, as she mentioned, paid off; the crew performed five amazing shows.

Aidan took on the difficult role of stage manager in this year’s musical. While he enjoyed ensuring everything behind the curtains ran smoothly, he also had a great time working with the cast and crew. He has been responsible for stage manager for all four years and has left a mark on the performing arts department.

Anna, in her third-ever musical at BHS, played the role of Enid Hoopes. To her, this play was so memorable because of all the small achievements made throughout the way. She says “Those moments where we hit that high note, or where we were all perfectly in sync made the effort worth it!” For her, the preparation was a little tedious, but through the successes of the show her efforts felt very “rewarding!”

Arden has been part of the BHS theater department for four straight years now. This year, she played Chutney. While being successful in their own role, the most memorable part of the musical for her was “being able to see the people [she] has grown up with have their opportunity to shine in the spotlight!”

Betsy has done three musicals throughout High School, all of which she has been a part of the pit orchestra. Every year she has played the flute, but this year expanded her role and also played the piccolo. For her, it was a little challenging to “switch from flute to piccolo when [she] would only have 1 or 2 measures (about a few seconds) to switch and quickly adjust [her] embouchure” but “made it work!” Through her playing, she improved her skills, particularly for the piccolo as she does not normally play it. Her favorite part of the experience was the rehearsals with her friends where she could see everyone’s hard work paying off.

Brandon played Kyle in his second career musical at Bernards. He explains the preparation required to perform such a great show: “I would say that most of the preparation made was just the memorization that helped us to learn the songs quickly. Usually, the songs have a similar theme to them, which helps us learn them a lot easier. Repeating them and going over the musical numbers for hours every week helps it stick the best.”

Gabe was tasked with being the assistant manager during his final show at Bernards. After four years in the program, he explained what is so critical to performing a successful show. Gabe shares, “I think that the most important factor for a great show is that everyone works as a team, knows their specific jobs, and is flexible and responsive when any issues arise.” Such comradery seconds what Neal said; the production was not possible without all members playing their parts.

Georgia took on the role of Kate in the musical. As one may expect, producing a quality film depends on a lot of pieces working in harmony. However, Georgia says that the most important factor overall is that “All of the behind-the-scenes people are crucial to producing a successful show, from costumes to lights to sets!”

Kaley played Margot, one of Elle’s best friends, in this year’s musical. While succeeding in her own role, she is very thankful for the work of everyone else as well, saying “Jessica Fu- She was a backstage angel. Jess always had the props ready to go and was amazing with helping everyone with anything they needed.”

Kathleen was a part of the pit orchestra and was the first chair violinist for this year’s production. For her, not only was the experience extremely enjoyable, but “watching everyone improve as they tackled professional level music” also was. She believes the dedication of the entire pit orchestra helped make the musical as successful as it was, and that “seeing everyone grow as musicians through their hard work was the most rewarding part of the experience.”

Meghan played Vivian during the musical and remarked upon a memorable aspect of the process to her. She says, “The community during the musical is unlike any other. My favorite thing we do is the cast prayer, which doesn’t need to be religious, but it keeps us grounded and connected for all of the performances. It always makes me emotional to feel the love and support for each other.”

Nathan played both the clarinet and the alto saxophone in the pit orchestra for this year’s production, bringing his musical talents to the table and helping the orchestra be as good as it was. Being his eighth and last show at BHS, he is extremely happy to have been able to support the cast in the ways he could.

Neal took on one of the major roles during the musical, as he played Warner. When asked about how he was able to deal with the inevitable pressure that actors feel on stage, he noted, “My fellow cast members lifted all the pressure off my shoulders.” This shows how the production was a true team effort. Neal further praises his castmates by explaining, “Without them, I would have never been as calm and happy as I was performing on stage.”

Syl played the alto saxophone in this year’s musical. Playing in the musical is one of their favorite ways to work with music at BHS, and they were grateful to be able to do it for multiple years.

Kayli has been part of the theater department for three years by painting sets, and designing playbills and tickets. Kayli’s favorite part is the “afternoons spent painting and watching the stage come to life with finished sets.”

Joe, similar to Gabe, played a role as an assistant manager during the production. Regarding the most memorable part of the whole experience, Joe says “The most memorable part of the musical was spending the week before the premiere with so many people I care about and getting ready for the show, it is truly a bonding and exciting experience to share with so many fellow students!” This shows what the musical is truly about; not only does it culminate in a great show, but all members can bond in unique ways.

Elianna has been a part of BHS Performing Arts for three years. Being part of the stage crew, this show was memorable to her because of the “fun dances that [she] did with the other people on crew behind the curtain!” So while those on the stage were having a blast, so were those behind the scenes as well.