After being in six shows, a combination of one acts and musicals, the thought of coming into the Harrisonburg High School theatre program might not be intimidating to most.

That was not the case for me.

I have been performing since 2012 at Skyline Middle School, getting used to the bubble of safety that comes with a middle school production. Suddenly, it was 2013, I was in seventh grade, and I saw “Oklahoma!” at the high school. I had been to professional live performances done by traveling Broadway Casts, but had never seen anything like this.

I don’t remember what I was expecting, but it definitely surpassed by anything imaginable. For a brief moment, I forgot I was seeing a High School production in the little town of Harrisonburg, Virginia.  Everyone was involved in the scene, in character, in the moment.  Only the best can do what they did: The students were acting like it was the first time they had seen the fist fights, the town drama and the true love that is destined in every show.

From what I had seen of the shows so far, there was a pattern. “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, “Oklahoma!”, and “Seussical” all ended gleefully.

This year, the pattern ended.

I auditioned for “Aida” this year, as soon as I could.  I had not heard of the production, but when the announcement came Wikipedia and YouTube were quickly pulled up on my phone.

It was incredible:

At first, I thought, how can a high school pull off such a serious, gripping, heart-breaking musical?  The lead on Broadway winning a Tony (the equivalent of a Grammy for a singer) for her work, the music, the story line:

However, the StageStreaks are entirely different. While watching the performances the past three years, you would have thought you were in the jungle of Nool, in 1922, or in the Oklahoma territory. I had full confidence that “Aida” would be another name on the wall of posters in Mr. Swartz’s theatre classroom.

After three months of rehearsal cancellations, long practices and intricate choreography, I can say that “Aida”  was life changing for me.

That sounds extremely cheesy, but I will say it.

Those cancellations, long practices, intense choreography all turned that play into a well oiled, genuine, sincere musical. You make friends, you have fun, you get tired, you run around, you act, you sing, you act again, you sing while you’re acting and then it happens all over again. I have always been a fan of a good musical, a live performance.

This year, I was finally a part of one.

Everything is at a whole other level and you get so close with everyone that by the time the final show is over, it’s okay to cry. The bows have ended, the curtains have closed, you just shout and you think and hug your fellow actors and actresses. You wonder what is going to happen.  

It’s all over.  There will not be another “Aida” cast of 2015-2016 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  

Then you feel that sadness. It’s over. Of course you will see these people again, maybe even the next day, but musical is a family. When you don’t go to school at 6p.m. and leave at 10p.m., when you don’t get yelled at across the auditorium to annunciate, when it’s over. You wish there was more.  

I’ve already said this, but a Harrisonburg High School production is something that everyone should be able to see. These actors/actresses, singers, dancers, these students, deserve to be seen by as many people can fit into that humongous auditorium. They all have something in them that gives them those abilities, but you keep them hidden until another year comes, and another character comes with it.

That is a Harrisonburg High School musical.  That is the magic.