Emily Carr daughter of Eric and Carrie Carr will portray Rita in the NCHS Musical production of White Christmas on December 16-19th.
What musicals have you been in at NCHS and what characters/roles did you play?
I have been in musical since my freshmen year so I participated in Cinderella as a dancer, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat both times as Naphtali’s wife and a dancer.
What was your favorite musical and why?
My favorite musical was Cinderella because we had a large cast and that was the first show I had ever gotten to perform before.
What scene in White Christmas is your favorite and why? (This does not have to be a scene you are in)
My favorite scene in white Christmas is the opening scene, Happy Holidays/Let Yourself Go. This is my favorite because it is the first time my character appears on stage and it is a big tap number.
What are three things being in the musical have taught you? and how have you learned these?
Three things I’ve learned from musical are that everyone is important no matter what their role may be, how to take initiative, and to encourage others. I’ve learned these things through years of long practices and tiring choreography days and as a dance captain, I’ve learned to take initiative and encourage one another when fellow cast members are getting down on themselves.
What are two pieces of advice you would give young people who want to start performing in musicals at NCHS?
I would tell them to just do it. The long hours of work and sore feet may seem not worth it in the moment, but come show weekend when you get to step out on that stage and own it, it all becomes worth it. I’d tell them to just have 3 seconds of courage and go for it.
What qualities do you see exemplified in the adults who help put on this show that you will take with you as you leave NCHS and how do they demonstrate these qualities?
I have a unique perspective on learning qualities from the adults I’ve worked with because I have worked alongside my mom as the assistant director. I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. Unexpected things happen sometimes but I’ve noticed that the adults that put on this show do whatever they can to make things work and are flexible and I think that is a very important trait that I’ll take with me.
What will you miss the most once the final curtain closes on your NCHS musical career?
I think the thing I’ll miss most is the feeling of opening night jitters backstage before I am about to go on, the nerves are high and the tension is definitely there, but the minute the lights come up for the first time, everything falls into place. That feeling is something I’ll definitely miss once I am done performing at NCHS.
Tickets for the NCHS Production of White Christmas are on sale with cast members and in the NCHS office (618-783-2303). Shows are December 16-18th at 7pm and December 19th at 2 pm.
