Anticipation hums as the actors take center stage. Colorful costumes intertwine with the set as voices blend together in song. After a few fleeting hours of musical perfection, the production comes to an end followed by a roar of applause from the amazed crowd. This is the dream of performing on Broadway. For senior Paige Johnson, it is a dream she hopes to transform into a reality.
Beginning this fall, Johnson will attend New York University majoring in Musical Theater. Inspired by the first Broadway show she saw, Annie, Johnson is not just hoping this dream of Broadway will magically happen, rather she is taking action by pursuing a career in the arts.
“I saw my first Broadway show when I was five, and ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with [musical theater],” Johnson said. “It’s the only thing I’ve really wanted to do.”
After trying sports and realizing they were not for her, Johnson let her passion lead the way, jumping head first into musical theater in its many forms. Johnson is a part of the various musical groups at South such as Choir, Masters Singers, and Fusion, as well as the school musical alongside senior Coco Schluchter.
With a similar passion to Johnson, Schluchter is also planning on pursuing a career in the arts and will attend Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee this fall, majoring in Musical Theater. From a young age, Schluchter knew as well she was meant for a life on stage. However, Schluchter also learned that this passion came with challenges.
“When I got cut from the musical my freshman year, I was so devastated,” Schluchter said. “And I told myself, I’m not going to let this ruin [my freshman year]. And I worked really hard [to get in next year].”
Schluchter dedicated time and effort, diving deep into the nuances of each play by studying the characters. Since then, Schluchter has performed in almost every play and musical at South and learned that passion does not guarantee success—rather, determination and resilience can bloom into triumph, Schluchter said.
Through these performances, Schluchter developed skills and friendships that will last a lifetime, she said. Moreover, these connections fostered a greater love and appreciation for the arts, Schluchter added. As a result of this, Schluchter applied to 35 schools audtioning for their musical theater programs.
“[Performing on stage is] an energy that you can’t really describe,” Schluchter said. “And I think that [pursuing theater is] going to be a lot of work, but I’m so ready and I have been putting in that work [preparing for] college.”
Musical Theater is just one example of the multitude of careers in the arts. Senior Lukas House is attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, majoring in Animation. He is currently involved in AP Art, choir groups such as Chambers and Fusion, and musical theater, House said.
Similarly to Johnson and Schluchter, House took an interest in the arts from an early age. House decided to pursue a major in animation because of his love for movies and his belief that choosing a financially secure career does not guarantee fulfillment, but most likely does the complete opposite, House said.
“Being involved in the arts gives you a hobby and a skill that you can be proud of, [and] also [helps you grow] as a person,” House said. “It breaks you out of [your] bubble to meet a diverse group of people who are driven and talented. You feed off of their creative energy and become more sure of yourself.”
Stephanie Fuja, Fine Arts Teacher, graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Art Education. Fuja believes there is a false stereotype of a life of instability by choosing to major in an art related field.
“Artists that major in art and design do really well,” Fuja said. “[Doing bad] is a misconception [that stems from] being uninformed and not knowing.”
Passionate students should pursue the arts, as there are many successful pathways such as architecture, animation, interior design, and fashion design that they can go into, Fuja explained.
House agrees with Fuja as he feels passionate about pursuing a career he is truly interested in. For this reason he knows majoring in animation is the best path for him.
“I love [the arts] and I know I [will] feel like I [am] doing something important and impactful,” House said. “Being fulfilled in that way means so much more to me than just clocking into a job I don’t care about.”