GREENFIELD — Madisyn Bayne feels a certain sense of responsibility carrying the lead role in Greenfield-Central High School’s production of “Hello, Dolly!” this weekend.
This marks the seventh school production for the 18-year-old senior, who hopes to take part in community theater at Ball State University in the fall.
Bayne is among a number of seniors who will take their final curtain call at the end of this weekend’s production run.
“I think a lot of us are thinking about how this is going to be our last show,” said senior Kaydence Forsyth, who plays hat shop owner Irene Molloy.
“It’s definitely been quite the whirlwind of emotions,” she said, during a break from rehearsal one night last week.
The cast and crew have been putting in long hours to prepare for “Hello, Dolly!,” a hit musical which scored a slew of Tony awards after its Broadway debut in 1964.
“I chose ‘Hello, Dolly!’ because looking at the shows from past years, the musicals were all more modern or post golden age. I thought it was time for a more classic, golden age musical here at GC,” said drama teacher Kristen Newlin, who added that audiences can expect a “heartwarming spectacle” filled with catchy show tunes.
“What makes our production unique is our students,” said Newlin. “When the kids are on stage, they are in the zone and know what needs to be done. My assistant director (junior Alek Plisinski) has been a huge help during rehearsals as well.”
The high school’s production coincides with the 60th anniversary of the hit Broadway show, which has featured such leading ladies as Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey, Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler.
Madisyn, who plays the lead at Greenfield-Central, said it’s a thrill to play such a fun and quirky character as Dolly Levi.
“This is definitely the most fun I’ve ever had playing a role,” said Madisyn, who most recently played the role of the Greek god Athena in the school’s fall play.
“It’s very intimidating because my character is the title of the show, so I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to be good, but it’s been really fun. It’s definitely been a good challenge for me,” she said.
“Hello, Dolly!” will be the seventh high school production for both she and Kaydence, who plans to study musical theater at Indiana University South Bend in the fall.
“My experience in high school theater has been really great. I’ve written college papers about this program and what it means to me,” said Kaydence, who most recently appeared in a production of “The Prom” at the Civic Theatre in Carmel. She hopes to one day tour with a professional acting company.
“Theater in general has been a really great experience for me. If I had never tried it I would have never found out I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing it, and I owe a lot of that to G-C,” she said.
Her castmate, Carter Wilson, is making his musical debut in “Hello Dolly,” in which he plays the affable Cornelius Hackl.
“He is one of the more funny characters that wants to be a people pleaser but also wants to do his own thing and make a lot of money and get with some girls because he’s been lonely a lot of his life,” said the 16-year-old sophomore, who has fallen in love with the combination of acting and singing on stage.
“I’ve done choir since the sixth grade, and I just love singing along with acting. I feel like that’s fun to be on stage. The stage is a place where I feel like I can truly be myself,” he said.
“Hello, Dolly!” takes the stage in the Greenfield-Central High School auditorium this weekend, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 3-4, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5.
Tickets for reserved seating are $10 for adults, $8 for students, and can be purchased at gcmusic.ludus.com or at the door with cash, credit, or Google or Apple Pay.
