Lake Shore High School is hosting its final musical performance of the year. The musical that has been chosen was Beauty and the Beast. This musical gives participation opportunities for those in 7th-12th grade. The musical will be directed by Raymond Filipek and will take place on May 18th, 19th, and 20th. 

“I am a graduate of Lake Shore High School and a former member of the choir as well. To me, this is like coming home to be a part of something I cared so deeply about all those years ago, and now I want to share my passion with the students and help to continue the great legacy the previous directors have laid out,” said Filipek.

Filipek is eager to see this musical come to life. He is glad to see such a great group of students come together and bring the animated characters to life. He can’t wait to see how each member chooses to put their own takes on each character. Filipek is beyond grateful for the amount of support and participation he has gotten throughout the development of the musical. 

“This show is our team and anyone can join and be a part of the family and not only that, be a part of a memory that you will have for the rest of your life and a shared experience people will talk about for years to come,” said Filipek.

Filipek had a difficult time assigning each member of the musical a role because everybody who auditioned did such a great job. The musical will be played by incredibly talented young students who worked very hard during auditions.

Filipek’s excitement for the musical is shared with the cast. Lauren Maciejewski, a sophomore at Lake Shore High School, is looking forward to the musical and working with the rest of the cast. Maciejewski will be playing Mrs. Potts in the upcoming musical.

“Everybody who auditioned did a great job, and I can not wait to see how everybody is going to portray their roles,” said Maciejewski.

The most satisfying part of this musical is watching it come together and seeing how the students transform a script into an entire performance. Not only are there speaking roles, but there are also singing roles as well. There are different types of roles that give everybody who auditioned a chance to try out for a role they are comfortable with. There are major roles, minor roles, singing roles, as well as non-speaking roles. 

Cameron Salk, a senior at Lake Shore High School, was cast to play the Beast in the upcoming musical.

“This is a special opportunity for me because it’s the first musical I’ve done, and it’s something new,” said Salk.

Salk has been in numerous plays, however, he had never participated in a musical. Salk is not only performing in his first musical, but he is also performing as one of the lead characters. He is looking forward to watching the musical come together and making memories in the process.

Dani Pryor, a senior at Lake Shore High school, will be playing Belle in the upcoming musical.

“I auditioned for Belle because I love her character, and I didn’t see myself being another character,” said Pryor.

Pryor is looking forward to playing the lead role in the musical. She is excited to work with her fellow cast members to bring the well-known animation to life. There are so many details that go into the creation of the musical and she is working hard to put on a great performance. 

The final performance of the year is coming together quickly. Filipek, as well as the rest of the cast, are excited to put on a unique show for everyone. This musical has given the cast members the ability to make core memories and have a fun time doing what they love. The musical is a work in progress, but the final product will surely be worth the wait.