Auditions for this year’s musical, Footloose, were held on October 11-12, and the cast is already hard at work. 

Senior Joseph Bonadonna will play Reverend Shaw Moore in the show and has been involved with the musicals since his freshman year. 

“I auditioned for the musical mostly because I love performing and the community we have within the program,” explained Bonadonna. “I’ve made so many friends over the years, and I’m looking forward to meeting more people in our bigger cast this year.”

Junior Emilie Chamberlain has been involved with over 20 productions in her lifetime and will be adding to that number when she plays the role of Rusty in the show. 

“I love the school musical here because it’s like being a part of a big family,” said Chamberlain. “Footloose is a fun show and I am excited to be a part of it.” 

That feeling of community isn’t felt only by Chamberlain.

Charles Rickards, a senior who plays Ren McCormack in the show, has been involved in both the school’s musicals and plays for all four of his high school years. 

Rickards explained that “the best part of being in the musicals is seeing the family that gets formed with everyone in the cast. From the pit to the backstage crew, to the directors and cast.” 

Ariel Moore will be played by Molly Kukiela who has been involved with musicals for almost 10 years. 

Kukiela decided to audition because of her love of the musical and because she wanted to finish out her senior year strong. 

“Auditions were a little nerve-wracking for me this year,” she admitted. “While I did acknowledge I have auditioned for shows at NDA before, you still have to understand that anything could happen within those three days. I am just grateful that the show is starting, and it will only get better from here.

Rickards doesn’t believe that the fear of auditions should stop students from auditioning.

“In my opinion, auditions are the ‘scariest’ part of the show, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t audition,” claimed Rickards. “Auditions are there to see how you can not only react under pressure but also to see some character traits that you perform well. Musicals and movies plays have taught me to learn some of the traits and adapt to quick thinking on stage. I’d suggest it to anyone who even has a slight interest in theatre.”

As per usual, directors did not have an easy time deciding who of the 50 individuals to cast this year. 

Director Andrea Gilson explained that “casting a show is never easy and it was very challenging this year.” 

Members of the pit orchestra have also begun practicing music for the show. 

Madeline Tricarico, a junior member of the pit, explained that she chooses to be in the pit because it is a great experience. 

‘Tricarico explained that the members of the pit have been given the music to practice on their own.

“We will start rehearsing as an orchestra starting early November,” she explained.

A couple of weeks before the show starts the orchestra will coordinate with the directors to make sure the music matches the scene. 

If students with instrumental expertise on an instrument are interested in joining the pit, they should contact Mr. Steve Johnson.