The NCHS production of Oklahoma! will be held on March 21st through 24th. Tickets are on sale at the high school office and St. Thomas School. Those wanting to purchase hospitality room tickets need to do so at the high school. Show dates and times are March 21st, March 22nd, and March 23rd at 7:00 and March 24th at 2:00. There were some tickets accidentally printed with a 7:00 show time on the 24th, but it is 2:00.
Each Monday between now and the opening of Oklahoma! we will highlight one of the seniors who will be taking the stage. This week we will be highlighting Johnathan Blecha. Johnathan will be portraying Jud Fry and is the son of David Blecha and Angie Horner.
What musicals have you been in at NCHS and what characters/roles did you play?
I have been a part of musicals at NCHS for 5 years, spanning from the first iteration of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in which I was a part of the children’s choir, to the second version of Joseph, in which I played one of the brothers, Levi. I also participated in White Christmas where I played Bob Wallace, and in the same year, Beauty and The Beast, in which I played the Beast. Last year I played Bill Anderson in Mamma Mia, and this year I am playing Jud Fry in Oklahoma.
What was your favorite musical and why?
My favorite Musical to perform was White Christmas. The idea of having a winter musical had been foreign to the community, however it was such a well known production that people loved it. It was in the height of the winter sick season but we were all in it together. White Christmas was one of few musicals I feel will be remembered for years to come because of the impact it had in the community and on us kids who performed in it. It made our little musical family even closer and allowed us to create lasting friendships with people we would’ve never imagined.
What scene in Oklahoma is your favorite and why?
My personal favorite scene in this year’s show is the first smokehouse scene with Jud and Curly. It brings a lot of light to the situation that both of these characters are living in and allows the audience to understand why these characters act the way they do. I also like this scene because of the music. The songs are slow and sad but show a lot of other emotions in the way they can be sung.
What are three things being in the musical has taught you? and how have you learned these?
Musical has taught me that people care, I have made so many valuable friendships throughout my years in musicals and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I also know that even though Mr. Finley may like to have fun with all of us kids, he cares about us and wants all of us to be successful. Another thing musical has taught me is that hard work pays off. We put hours upon hours of our weeks into practicing for 4 days worth of shows, and it can be brutal. There have been times that kids will have anxiety attacks, me included, because of the stress of school, extra-curriculars, and the musical on top of that. Everything is worth it whenever we get on that stage and see everyone enjoying the show each night we perform. The final thing that I have learned while being in musical is finding fun in what you do. Enjoy yourself, it isn’t worth doing something if you aren’t going to love it. Musicals are one of those things that I fell in love with. I have had a blast these past 5 years and wouldn’t have wanted to spend every spring any different.
What are two pieces of advice you would give young people who want to start performing in musicals at NCHS?
If you are going to do a musical, expect support and don’t get upset whenever people offer help. That is what we do, the cast is a family and we try to welcome anyone and everyone to be a part of it. I would also encourage people to reach out and don’t be scared. Confidence goes a long way when it comes to someone’s stage presence. Musical is only fun if you’re willing to be you no matter the group of people you’re around, so be confident in who you are and enjoy what you do.
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?
The adults that help with Musical are very compassionate. They spend hours of their time helping with sets, costumes, directing, sound, ect. That takes a lot of their time that they could be spending with their families or friends. The adults are also leaders. They show us what it means to be hard-working and timely. Every year they make new costumes, perfect music, coach teenagers, and build new sets for our shows, and lately they have only had a couple of months to get 30+ people into a costume and an entire set built before show time. Amy, Jamie, Laurie, and all of the other costumers are there almost every night we have practice, and Travis and the other set guys are there most nights during the week and saturdays. Finley and Kristie are there with us every practice and Kristie helps us with choreography. Dawn spends so much of her time making sure those of us singing sound the best we can with the pit.
What will you miss the most once the final curtain closes on your NCHS musical career?
I will miss the people, the entire group of us kids grow into a family throughout the year and care so much for each other. Musical gives us a group of people that understand us and support us. When we are at our lowest there is always a group of people that will be there to bring us back up, and probably end up joking about it later down the line. That’s what makes Musical worth all of the time and effort, and that is what the most important part of it is. Everything about being in the musicals will be missed but the family and friendships that were built during is the one I will miss the most.
