Seniors Phil Kirk, Carrie Barnthouse and Kyle Straub star in the upcoming spring musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ 

By Tommy Sneider
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SENIOR PHIL KIRK

Who are you playing and what role does he have in the musical?
I’m playing the role of Cosmo Brown, and he’s the role of the sidekick of the main character, Don. In a lot of ways, I’m the third wheel to Don and Kathy. Since Don and I were kids, we were traveling and trying to entertain, so that’s how we knew each other.

What are you most stressed about in getting ready to act out your character?
I think the most stressful part is trying to perfect the dance moves since I haven’t really had dance training. The acting and singing kind of comes naturally to me; it’s just the dancing I haven’t had as much training with compared with the other leads.

What challenges have you run across throughout the whole process?
One of the biggest challenges is time management and staying on top of schoolwork. Rehearsals are every school day except Fridays but then Friday I usually have Comedy Sportz, so it’s not always easy to get all my homework done and get a good amount of sleep.
 

SENIOR CARRIE BARNTHOUSE

Who are you playing and what role does she have? 
I am playing Kathy Selden, and she is Don’s love interest, I guess is what you would call her.

What is the toughest thing about play preparation?
Practicing tap dancing because we have some hard dances. This year, since I have a bigger part, I have a lot of dances that are by myself, so I have to make sure they are perfect because I can’t really hide behind anyone.

What are you most excited about?
I’m most excited that they’re going to try to make it rain on stage. I don’t dance in the rain, only Don does, but it’ll probably make the stage slippery. I’m still excited to see it though.

How do you think fans will react to what they see?
I think they’ll really like it. It’s a really funny show and not really heavy, so they’ll leave in a good mood.

What is the most enjoyable part of it all and why?
It has to be being with my friends because my friends are in the show, and so it’s fun to go to rehearsal and also being with your friends.
 

SENIOR KYLE STRAUB

Who are you playing and what role does he have in the musical?
I am Don Lockwood and the show is about him and his love and his career as an actor.

What made you want to try out for the part?
I have seen the movie, and everyone knows Gene Kelly for his role in the movie. I thought it would be fun to sing and tap dance on stage.

How do you relate to the character?
We both love being in the spotlight and performing, and we’re also both quite romantic.

Who would you recommend the play to?
Everyone because it’s a good story. It’s entertaining, it’s funny, it’s just a good time.

What is your favorite scene that you act out and why?
I love the “Good Mornin’” scene. We all get to just cut loose and tap for about five minutes and just perform, so that’s just a lot of fun in itself.