During the summer, most high school students work or lift weights. This was not the case for juniors Bella Sliva and Lexi Bisaillon, who sang and danced for the all-state musical over the summer. 

“We spent three days of our summer at Midland University,” Bisaillon said 

The process started two months before All-State Musical with an audition. They had to practice what song they were going to sing for the audition. “The choir director will record you singing a song of your choice. Each year you have to choose a slow or fast song. After you are recorded, Mr. Gunter sends it in and a couple of weeks later you find out if you got in,” Bisaillon said. 

Both Bisaillon and Sliva were chosen to be a part of the ensemble.

“I was so happy when I found out that I got the part. Even though it wasn’t a big part, I was just happy I even got selected,” Bisaillon said.

Once they received their parts, all the student actors reported to campus to put the musical together.

“You learn a whole musical in three days. You just audition for the musical, and then maybe, a month in advance, you get the songs and stuff, and then you learn the choreography,” Sliva said. “The blocking on stages tells you where to go in three days with over 100 people.”  

The short timeframe to prepare meant a lot of hard work during those three days.

“It may not sound like a lot, but when you’re dancing and learning that at the same time for five hours straight, it’s tough,” Sliva said.

While at Midland, the students woke up every day at 6 a.m. to get breakfast. Practice was from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., but the days were longer than that.

“When you return to the dorms, everyone’s awake until 12. So it’s not like you go to bed right at 10, you’re up until 12 and sometimes later,” Sliva said. 

Despite the hectic schedule, both Sliva and Bisaillon said the experience was worth it. 

“It was one of the most fun things that I have ever done. Many people were nice and the musical was good,” Bisaillon said.