The All-School Musical Sister Act premieres this week, and I had a chance to sit down with three key players: the lead actor, the director, and the producer of the show.

Nicole Kelly stars in this year’s production of Sister Act.

The Red & Black: As the lead character of the musical, what’s running through your mind at this point – so close to the premiere? Do you feel anxious? Confident? Excited?

Nicole Kelly: There are so many mixed emotions running through my head. I feel confident in my character and I am proud of the work I have put in. I am beyond excited to be putting together this show with the best people I have ever been surrounded by. I am ecstatic for the show to finally open because I feel amazing about how it’s coming along, and I know that no matter what happens during these shows, my cast will always be there to help me and get me back on track if anything were to go wrong. Completely positive attitude – just full of love, joy, and excitement.

R & B: How hard did you have to work to reach the top spot? Did you take part in any previous school musicals?

NK: I have been a part of the all-school musical here at Pat Med for three years now. I had the honor of being in The Wiz and also Shrek: The Musical. I am so beyond grateful to be playing the role of Deloris. Ever since it had been announced that we would be doing Sister Act this school year, I took it upon myself to learn the show top to bottom and I was determined to have the best audition I possibly could. I prepared for months because it was so important to me to achieve something so incredible. However, achieving this came from hard work and dedication and that’s what it takes to be given an opportunity like this, because it is not something that is just handed over, but rather something that is obtained from consistent effort and dedication.

R & B: How long have you been performing in musical theater productions?

NK: I have been performing in musical theater productions since 7th grade. However, it wasn’t until 9th grade that I decided to do community theater. Sister Act will be my 17th musical theater production and it’s such an honor to be given this opportunity, not only because it’s my senior year of high school, but as a way to look back and see how far I’ve come since developing my passion for theater years ago.

Mr. Butzke, a business teacher at the high school, is the producer of Sister Act:

R & B: Where does funding to produce the show come from?

MB: We get the funds from selling ads in our Playbill, Choral night, and ticket sales, respectively.

R & B: What are your primary responsibilities as producer of the musical?

MB: My duties as producer are many – to oversee and make sure everyone has what they need. My job starts in May, when we decide what musical will be done the following Spring. The producing staff’s duties include submitting forms for what rooms we need to use, making a schedule for auditions with the director, and releasing the songs in partnership with the choral director once the cast is selected. Music, librettos, costumes, lights, etc. – I need to make sure we have all of those things. We also need permits, shirts and ads. This job requires a lot of communication, including contacting people who advertised for us in the past, costume designers, set designers, lighting and sound companies, and the art department for a custom poster.

R & B: Are there any students who assist you with these duties?

MB: Anthony Jackson and Sam Visco are the student producers who help with all the duties I previously mentioned. They”ll also do other tasks such as helping with promo shoots and helping with the info provided by the program.

Ms. Carota, an English teacher at the high school, is the director of Sister Act.

R & B: When it comes to directing a show for high school, are you planning to stay strictly with the source material or are you considering your own ideas?

MC: When you direct a musical you are definitely expected to be respectful to source material but, a good director has a good relationship with the actors so, they can sometimes put their own twist on it. So, inevitably, we work together to create the end result.

R & B: What are your expectations of the cast? How much potential have they shown through the audition process?

MC: In terms of what I expect, they’re the best. Again, their commitment, their ability to take risks during rehearsal, and explore the characters while ultimately to work together, they have shown a real understanding of the process.

R & B: Considering how well-received last year’s Shrek: The Musical was, do you believe this year’s production of Sister Act will meet it, or possibly even exceed it?

MC: It’s always the hope each year. I don’t know if I want to say it succeeds but, succeeds in its own way, yes. We’ve been lucky to be successful each year we think “Ok, how do we top that?” I guess that’s the ambition since you don’t know if that show choice will meet those expectations.

Sister Act premieres March 2-4th in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $15 at the door or $12 in advance.