For many thespians and drama students, fall musical time is a magical one. The excitement of the possibilities of what this year’s show could do is one that can be felt in every single person involved. This year is no exception with the production of “Hello Dolly.”

Only a few weeks into the school year and rehearsals have already begun, and cast members say that already this show looks to be a promising one.

“[Rehearsal] was really good, we did a read through and the next day we started working on songs, which is good because that means we’re getting right into it,” senior Claire Todd said.

“I think everyone who is cast in leads or even chorus is really committed to the show and we’re really excited to make it the best that it can be.”

Commitment is something that every production needs, and this year is no exception. With a smaller chorus than years previous, Todd promises that this show will be an intimate one. A smaller cast also means that cast members have a chance to connect more with each other.

“It’s going to be amazing, this show is going to be one of the best shows the high school has put on,” senior Noah Shirk promises. “The seniors that we have this year are amazingly talented at everything. All the directors we have are really passionate about making this the show they can point at and say ‘I’m proud I was a part of that.’”

As seniors, Shirk and Todd both are looked at as mentors to the new freshman, and it offers a glimpse at who they used to be as fresh drama students.

“As a senior, it reminds me of how dumb I was freshman year,” Shirk said. “I had no expectations of what I was trying to do, so I would look at someone and try to model what they were doing, and then I would see them doing it wrong so I would switch to someone else and play four different characters in rehearsal trying to figure out what I should do.”

Both seniors believe that this show and this cast will be one to remember, and it was easy to tell just from the first rehearsal alone.

“I remember after the chorus left a bunch of the leads started working on their solos and everyone was really on top of it and we were working really well together,” Todd said. “It made me feel like this is gonna be awesome.”

Shirk shared the sentiment, saying that the first rehearsal gave him a moment where he knew this would be a great show.

“It was a warm up, and it was kind of obscure, nobody really knew it,” Shirk said. “But still, they all jumped into and immediately took hold of it and gave it all they had. It was amazing to see.”

Rehearsals for Hello Dolly will continue into October until the first performances in November.