Auditions for the spring musical were held on Feb. 7 and 8. This year’s musical is a musical comedy centered around a middle school spelling bee, titled The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Students who auditioned for singing parts were required to prepare two contrasting songs that showed off their vocal and acting range.
Students who aren’t as keen about singing but still wanted to be in the musical were able to audition for one of the limited non-singing roles in the musical by preparing two contrasting monologs to display their comedic timing and emotional range.
Everyone seems to have a different approach to their auditions. After the title of the musical was announced, one student took the time to watch a production of the show and decide which role she wanted to audition for.
This helped her consciously pick the material she wanted to audition with based on the character traits of the role she wanted to play.
“I really like the exploration that comes with it. You are given a character
The spring musical auditions heldand it’s your job to figure out what you think is going on in their head and what motivates them,” senior Amanda Weaver said.
The chaotic atmosphere outside of an audition room is a sight to see. Nerves are shot when actors are counting down the minutes until they have to enter their audition; actors rehearsing together, running to the bathroom to sing their songs one last time, and stepping in to take someone’s time slot when they don’t show up makes for an interesting afternoon.
“I am very nervous, I am always nervous about shows in general but with this one specifically, I am very nervous because there is a lot of talented people auditioning for this show,” said junior Timothy Hurd.
Which means I might not be as looked at for roles but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Having prior acting experience is one factor that makes people more comfortable with auditioning and performing.
“I was a part of Puffs, the fall play, and I really enjoyed my experience. The community like no other. It’s a place where everyone fits in,” Weaver said.
For many students, the spring musical is something they look forward to all year.
“I really enjoy both singing and acting and getting to do both is just so fun to me and this is exactly what I’ve been looking forward to the past three months,” Hurd said. “I am very excited to start the process of this musical because it feels like it’s been so long since I’ve performed and devoted my time and energy to something I’m really passionate about so it feels good to finally be back and performing.”
Unfortunately, for a few students, this will not only be their last audition at AHS but it will also be the last musical they perform in before they graduate.
“This is my last show here at Annandale and I think Spelling Bee is a great show to finish off with,” Weaver said.
So what makes this production special? Well, anyone attending this musical should be prepared to be included in the performance. Audience interaction is one of the ways that this performance will be so comedic and notable.
“Spelling Bee is going to be so good and you might even get to be a part of the show as an audience member. We put a lot of hard work into the shows and they offer something that everyone will enjoy,” Weaver said.
Callbacks were on Feb. 9, the date of the show has yet to be released but excitement and suspense are brewing among students to see what this performance has in store. musical is also very fun and I thought I would enjoy participating,” sophomore Kaya Thomas said.
Along with the nerves sparked by auditions, a community is formed of people who are bonded together by the experience. After auditions the cast spends countless hours and days rehearsing and preparing for their performance together.
“Not only are they fun and give people with interest in performing a chance to have an outlet, ensembles have