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Photo by Morgan Clark

The end of the school day nears as sleep deprived students drop their head slowly on the desk before them. After the bell rings, people file out through the hallways to the crowded parking lot. However, a group of students take a different path into the Little Theater to begin their rehearsal for the upcoming musical.

After two hours of running through lines, learning new choreography, and perfecting their craft, cast and crew alike leave feeling more prepared for the next days practice. LHS theatre students are bringing “Mamma Mia” to the stage beginning November 8 in the Little Theater.

“The basic plot is that there’s a girl, Sophie, who’s getting married and wants her dad at her wedding but has three potential options of who that could be,” senior Grace Keenan said. “The whole thing focuses on her trying to figure out who her father is while maintaining a challenging relationship with her mom.”

Keenan plays Sophie Sheridan, a main character in the show, and is looking forward to the chance to be a part of her first musical. While having done a small amount of school productions in the past, Keenan is eager to showcase all the hard work that has been put into the musical.

“Since I’ve only done one play before, this is different the because the musical is very dance-based,” Keenan said. “You have to take a lot of time to learn the music and dances.”

The process of building a show from scratch is something that stays behind the scenes.

“The first day is the cold reading auditions. The second is vocal auditions. You simply sing two to three songs for them so they can get to know your voice,” freshman Sam Alexander said. “The third day is callbacks. This is when the directors determine if they want to see you again. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a lead role.”

Director Don Johnson will be working with a large cast.

“There are 55 students in the cast and we have a small theater. It can be a little bit chaotic,” Johnson said. “For the most part people know, or they’re learning now, where they need to be every moment while they’re backstage.”

Cast and crew prepare a lot before the actual planning of the musical is even determined. Junior crew member Leah Rainwater has high hopes for the production.

“I’m the lighting and design operator,” Rainwater said. “I’m most excited for the performance nights. It’s really nice knowing that people are here to see our show and I feel pride in that.”

Compared to last year’s production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ this year’s light-hearted show is taking everybody by surprise as it comes together. Everyone involved imagines that the musical will be a success among students and parents alike.

“This musical is something that I think the public is going to love because everybody knows Abba,” Johnson said. “All the kids knew the songs before we even started learning them because it is a well-known show.”

For some, big changes have been made in their theater involvement and the real hard work has begun.

“One thing I think is really interesting is that a lot of the high school resources are digital and very easy to access,” Alexander said. “In middle school, it was kind of as you go learn information. Now you have to self-organize and prepare yourself for what the director is about to throw at you.”

Rainwater believes show is going to be a hit this year for other reasons.

“We are more ahead of the game than in previous years, which helps with the overall process,” Rainwater said. “I think people will enjoy the plot and all the other dramatics within the performance. I hope they fall in love with the characters as well.”

Alexander agrees.

“I think they’ll have a pretty good reaction,” Alexander said. “For a lot of the parents, they were probably around when this music was popular so it’ll be enjoyable for them just because they know the songs. It also gives people a chance to connect with the show because it has a really good theme and message about finding yourself.”