With the start of the second semester, a variety of spring activities have started up again in preparation for the season.

Sports, including baseball and girls’ soccer, have begun preseason conditioning while senioritis is already a raging epidemic affecting a fourth of our population.

However, one of the most highly anticipated events of spring revolves around Ralston Valley’s spring musical.

This year, the theater program is putting on a rendition of Hello, Dolly!

This musical describes the narrative of Dolly Gallagher Levi who is both a widow and a matchmaker. Dolly travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for millionaire “Horace Vandergtelder.” Along the way, the matchmaker decides that the next match she needs to make needs to be for herself.

Clarice Reiner (’18), is a senior and has participated in the theater program the past four years. The veteran performer explains that, “I’m playing Minnie Fay and I’m super excited because

Preparation for the musical began right after winter break with auditions.

These consisted of each cast member preparing a monologue and song of their choice to perform. Callbacks were then announced to solidify who would play the leads.

Reiner continues that, “Auditions were super nerve wracking but turned out okay. We have to do part of our audition in front of everyone which sounds really scary but isn’t that bad because everyone is super supportive.”

While still a few months away, an incredible amount of work goes into the final production of the musical. Comparable to a spring sport, practice is after school and can last for hours upon hours to obtain perfection once it’s time to actually perform.

“The music itself is going to be good,” Reiner said. ‘Put on Your Sunday Clothes’ and ‘Motherhood’ are my favorite songs because the energy in them will make every audience member want to dance along with us.”

Ralston Valley is putting on four shows of Hello, Dolly!, beginning on Wednesday, March 14th, and ending on Saturday, March 17.

With the returning cast members and the hard work put in from all participants, the musical will surely be another great success for the Ralston Valley theater program.