Known for her powerful singing voice and incredible acting skills, senior Miley Katz is emerging as a rising star in both music and theater. Katz has been a part of the theater community since elementary school and plans to pursue a career in the arts after graduation. 

As a part of the OPHS theater troupe, some of her lead roles include Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family Musical,” Nostradamus in “Something Rotten,” Regina George in “Mean Girls the musical” and currently Alice in “Alice by Heart.” 

“I have been in theater since elementary school, and I absolutely love it,” Katz said. “I’m planning on going to college for musical theater, but no matter what I do, I know I definitely want theater and singing to be a part of my life.”

During the summer, the OPHS theater troupe announced that they would be performing a musical instead of a play, as they had in previous years.

“When I first heard that we were doing a fall musical instead of a play, I was overjoyed,” Katz said. “Musicals are so much fun as we have rehearsals involving singing, dancing and acting.”

The audition process for the fall musical was fairly similar to that of past spring musicals except this time: auditionees were given a specific song cut from the musical to perform. For Katz, the audition process was very fulfilling.

“When I found out I got Alice, I read it about three times before it sunk in and I was so happy,” Katz said.

The process of becoming immersed with a character is difficult yet rewarding. The connection Katz feels between herself and her character helps her establish a deeper understanding as she steps into her role. 

“Alice holds a very special place in my heart because of her creativity and ability to change the reality she is in, [making] a better place for herself and people around her that she cares about,” senior Miley Katz wrote.