The Fall musical for NCHS is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical by Rachel Sheinkin, William Finn, Jay Reiss, and Rebecca Feldman. The story follows several adolescents and adults as the spelling bee unfolds. From Loganne, a spelling bee contestant, to Rona, a realtor who also has a connection to the spelling bee, the cast of characters has something for everyone.
Vivian Steiner, a freshman who plays Loganne, says that her favorite part of the musical is being able to be in it “with the people I love working with, but I also love getting the chance to be in the musical this year, cause this is a fun activity… I didn’t think there was any chance I’d get in, especially since I am a freshman.”
This show has many freshmen stars, which just goes to show that no NC student was counted out during auditions because of their grade. When asked how she felt when she found out she got in, Steiner said, “Literally amazing. I looked at the cast like ten times before I figured out ‘oh that’s my name, it’s real it’s not going away.’”
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will show on November 15-16 and November 21-22 at 7:00 P.M. There will also be matinee shows on November 16 and 23 at 2:00 P.M. .When asked why people should attend the show, Steiner said “Because it’s really fun, and honestly, there’s a chance that you could be in the musical too because we have audience participation.“
Another freshman, Alexis Worthen, also tried out for the musical. When asked why she tried out, Worthen said, “I really like theater and since I’m a freshman it seemed like a really good time to start doing it so I really wanted to try out.” She also said that her favorite part of the musical has been “working with the director and it’s an opportunity to make friends, some upperclassmen and (some) freshmen.”
Joining extracurricular activities, like being in a musical or doing track, are great ways to get involved and meet new people. It can also be fun. According to Worthen, “It’s really funny, (there is a) lot of great humor. You get to come see your friends in it and probably make fun of us later. It’s really relatable, so it’s a lot of fun.”