For the past four months at Blackman the cast of Hairspray, the musical, have been working hard. The students and teachers have been staying at school until 5:30 three days a week to make sure everything goes perfectly and as planned, with some students even rehearsing during school hours. 

   The main cast consists mainly of seniors, with the exception of a couple of juniors. Everyone has stayed committed to their roles and has been putting in non-stop hard work to perfect their performances. 

   “In order to prepare for the spring musical, I have been reviewing lines, rehearsing music and reviewing chorography every night,” said Annabelle Whitaker, junior. 

   Because the cast members spend so much of their time at school rehearsals, they’ve found ways to be productive even when they’re not actively rehearsing — to ensure they are always putting in their best effort. 

   “Rehearsals are very driving, while one part of the cast practices a scene, those that aren’t in it are either practicing the next scene or doing homework,” stated Tobias Commodore, senior. 

   Everyone has a different process to how they memorize their lines. Some prefer to use Quizlet, a common site for studying, to review their lines while others just look at them consistently. 

   “I memorize my lines by practicing in the mirror, running the scenes and reading them over and over,” said Commodore. 

   As the date gets closer to the show everyone tends to get stressed out and tensions rise. It can be overwhelming to have everyone seem mad and stressed, but the cast has also found ways to combat that. 

   “Dealing with the pressure is something you learn to do during rehearsals. I keep in mind that our directors are stressed, too, and if they lash out, they aren’t trying to be rude. Most of the pressure comes opening night, but on those days, I do try breathing exercises and have calmer mornings, so I don’t start off the day overwhelmed,” stated Whitaker. 

   Even with all the stress that has been thrown their way, the cast has been making friends with each other and showing support for one another. 

   “While not everyone talks to each other or hangs out regularly, I still feel like I’ve made so many amazing new friends here. I would consider this cast my family,” said Ryah Abualrob, junior. 

   The Blackman theater program has been putting in a lot of thought and effort into the show. They can’t wait to put on an amazing show for their audiences on March 14 and on March 15-March 18.