"She Loves Me" Casting Results
Get ready for some “Vanilla Ice Cream!” DLA’s Drama Club announces the cast list for their 2017 musical production of She Loves Me.
Last year, Del Lago’s Drama Club put on it’s very first musical, Zombie Prom, an atomic take on teenage romance set in the 1950s. Their second musical is currently in the works, and this time they’re taking us to a 1930s parfumerie in Hungary.
The inspiration for the film, You’ve Got Mail!, the musical She Loves Me is set in 1930s Hungary. We are met by parfumerie clerks, Amalia Balash and Georg Nowack. Upon meeting, they establish an immediate incompatibility showing clearly with their rather hateful interactions. Despite their rocky acquaintanceship at work, we soon come to find that they have been sending each a series of love letters, the twist being that neither of them know that. Aside from Amalia and Georg, we are also met by Arpad Laszlo, the energetic, ambitious delivery boy of Maraczek’s Parfumerie. There is also Ilona Ritter, the sultry clerk who appears to have gotten around. Other than Ilona there is Steven Kodaly, the suave, smooth talker of the store. And lastly there is Sipos, Georg’s confidant, and Mr. Maraczek, the owner of the parfumerie.
The auditions have been held and the roles have been cast! Here’s the official cast list of DLA’s 2017 production of She Loves Me:
Amalia Balash - Bethany Taylor
Georg Nowak - Colin McDowell
Ilona Ritter - Emilee Guin
Steven Kodaly - Parker Loux
Ladislav Sipos - Brittany McDowell
Arpad Laszlo - Justine Mamaradlo
Mr. Maraczek - Sylvia Tran
Detective Keller/Ensemble - Liv Lang
Waiter/Ensemble - Savannah Ruiz
Ensemble - Amber Martinez, McCallie, Maria, Cyla, Brianna
Previews for She Loves Me begin on December 7, with a special scholar exclusive performance on that same day at 5 PM. The show will be open to friends and family on December 8 at 7 PM. There will be two more shows on December 9, with a matinee performance at 2 PM and the closing show at 7 PM.
We spoke to the actors and actresses to gather a bit more insight on the show as well as hear about what they’re looking forward to.
“George Nowak is a long time employee of Maraczek's Parfumerie who's well liked and respected by his fellow employees,” says Colin McDowell. “He's a shy, intelligent, hopeless romantic.”
He goes on to say, “I am most excited about seeing this whole story come together. I've never had a lead role in a musical, so the idea of being the main man in this show is daunting...I can't wait for everyone to see the culmination of all the work we are going to put into this show.”
“I play Amalia Balash,” says Bethany Taylor, “a quick-witted, but slightly awkward, book lover. Near the beginning of the show, Amalia becomes the newest clerk at Maraczeck's Parfumerie, where she quickly finds herself at odds with another clerk, Georg Nowack.”
“I am really excited to be performing in this show!” she adds on. “I think it will be one of our best productions, and I am so glad to be ending my high school musical career on a high note.”
“My character is Steven Kodaly,” states Parker Loux. “He is a total jerk.” And that’s as much as you’re gonna hear about his character. Come see the show to learn more about Kodaly!”
Emilee Guin says, “I play Ilona Ritter who works with the rest of the clerks at the parfumerie. And I'd say Ilona is definitely a very seductive character who is just looking for love in all the wrong guys, including someone from the parfumerie.”
As always, Drama is happy to welcome all the newcomers! They are especially glad to have two freshman, Brianna and Cyla, in the cast. Here’s what they have to say.
Brianna, who plays one of the ensemble members, says, “My first impression of Drama Club was that it was full of super nice people and everyone was really supportive of each other. I felt welcomed and I loved it.”
She continues, “I'm most excited for just getting to know everyone and also getting to go on stage again after a couple of years...We are all definitely going to be working hard and really this all is just super exciting!”
Cyla, who is also part of the ensemble, says that the drama club members are, “..very out going and that everyone has their own wacky personalities which I admire.” Cyla goes on to tell us about what she’s excited for in this upcoming production. “I'm most excited about performing it for an audience. I feel like we’re going to be great. I can't wait for opening night.”
This next production is going to be a rather bittersweet one for Drama’s seniors, as it is going to be their final musical with DLA. All of the seniors participating in this next show have been with Del Lago’s Drama Club since it’s very first production, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, back in December of 2015. They were able to shed some light on how they feel about She Loves Me being their last musical at Del Lago.
“I honestly am really sad that it's going to be the last,” says Amber Martinez, yet another ensemble member. “I'm not so sure how much theatre I'll be able to do after high school, so it might be the last of the last. But that's why I'm going to make the best out of this one.”
Liv Lang, who plays Detective Keller, states, “It is really bittersweet for this to be the last one. On one side, I am unhappy I didn't get the lead and really wished to have a big important role and have some time in the limelight, but at the same time I am just happy to be participating. I could've not gotten cast so I like to think about how lucky I am to just have a role.”
“I feel very sad that this is my last musical,” says Parker. “but it's warming to know that others will fill the gap that I, and the other seniors, will leave behind.”
According to Emilee, “It’s definitely sad, but I think it's mostly happy tears at the end of every show when everyone cries, because you create these unbreakable bonds with people that become family and you have all these memories that stay with you forever.”
Lastly, the show’s leading lady, Bethany Taylor, offered a few words on the root of what makes Drama Club so amazing:
“The most exciting part of any production we do is watching everyone grow in some way. Maybe someone found the courage to climb out of their shells. Maybe someone learned about responsibility and how to step up to the plate. Maybe someone discovered that the kid they had previously thought was weird or not cool is actually really nice, and the two of them have a lot in common. And, no matter the way we grew individually, the most fulfilling part is to see how much we grew as a family. There is something magical about sharing the stage with this family, hands clasped as we grin and laugh our way through our final bow, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.”
The Drama Club hopes you’ll pay a visit to Maraczek’s Parfumerie and come see the show!