Senior year is full of conflicted emotions. Some soon-to-be alums struggle with the pull of nostalgia, while others can’t wait for the year to end. For the seniors who performed in this year’s spring musical, Good News, feelings were bittersweet as the three-month journey came to a close.

For Logan Falk, who performed in her first and final NA musical this year, the show was a way to get involved in the school.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” she said. “It’s nice to have some time opened up to spend with friends and family and actually get school work done, but it’s also really sad. It was the first time it really hit me that we’re graduating so soon. Everyone always says high school flies by, but you don’t realize it until it’s almost over. So it’s definitely difficult to be leaving the friends I got really close with throughout the experience.”

Senior Jack Lopuszynski has been starring in NA musicals since Cinderella in his freshman year.

“For me, musical has been a very big part of my time at NASH, and all four years have been vastly different experiences,” he explained. “This year was an especially unique experience.  It presented many different challenges than in past years. And after the two weeks of tech and the week of shows, it’s great to get a small break from the stress. It really does seem like the end of an era, which makes the end of the show bittersweet.”

Liam Donley, a senior, had a unique experience with the musical, having done tech his first two years and only performing on stage his junior and senior years.

“Actors are able to improvise if they make a mistake, but someone pushing a button for the lights to go out between scenes cannot,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure when, but at some point in the show, I realized I wanted to work in the theater. However, while my friends will be on stage professionally, I will be in the background. That’s not to say I’m giving up on acting. I plan to audition for many shows in college, but my main focus will be to figure out which technical aspect of live performance I will pursue.” 

For senior Evan Diulus, the final curtain call brought a rush of emotion.

“While I’m sad that it’s over, it was truly one of the best parts of this year,” he said. “Being able to do it with some of my best friends was just a bonus. I wish I had another year, but I wouldn’t change any of it even if I could.”

To many, such as Evan Pietrzak, the musical has been a place to grow into who they want to be.

“Musical has been the highlight of my high school career,” he said. “It allowed me to find the right confidence in myself and let me grow as an artist and as a person. I made some of the greatest friends here, and I am very sad that it has come to an end.”

Whether cast members were stars, ensemble or part of the tech crew, and whether they were four-year veterans or newbies, the memory of the NASH musical will be missed by all.

“The NA musical gave me many friends, a passion for acting, and an answer to the question that burns every person’s ear — ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’”Donley added.