With only a few short weeks of rehearsal until opening night, Homestead’s music and drama departments are working feverishly to mount their rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical Carousel. William Toney and Grace Bobber, junior, portray the title roles of Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan, a couple who fell in love beneath the glimmering lights of Mrs. Mullins carousel, but are now struggling to make ends meet. Between cast, crew, and pit orchestra, Carousel is truly a group effort, with over 100 students involved.
So come one, come all, and meet the incredible artists who have created the production!
William Toney is just one of those people who can bring a smile to your face. His fierce athleticism, incredible voice, and big heart combine to make him an incredible individual both on and off the stage. As a junior, Toney is portraying the title role of Billy Bigelow.
“I feel like Billy is a person whose personality is possibly more than meets the eyes,” Toney said, “thus far I have begun to try to add an accent to my character. As well as trying my best to express my feelings the way I perceive Billy would.”
“One thing that has been a challenge is adapting to be ‘rough and tough’ like Billy, because our personalities are so drastically different,” Toney acknowledged.
Toney notes that an average rehearsal consists of chorus warmups, and then the cast moves to the stage for acting and dancing work. “During our rehearsals the focus level can sometimes be a little out of hand, but we are high schoolers! Mostly everyday rehearsals are the highlights of my day,” Toney said.
All in all, Toney sums up his experiences and said, “I haven’t encountered as many challenges as I thought I would and I surely do thank the Lord for that! I am most excited to see the response of the audience after our first performance. I really hope they like what we have been working so hard to produce.”
By: Katie Bandurski
Drama Club Publicist
Senior-2014
Act Out 