From an online post advertising auditions for the beloved musical Hairspray, junior Annabelle Langas decided she would dedicate her summer to an experience she would never forget.

Auditions for the Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park production of Hairspray were open to actors of all ages, Aaron Kaplan, Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra (GSO) Director and Hairspray Music Director and Conductor said. Among the performers were past and current South actors and musicians such as Langas, South alum Borna Movafaghi. Auditions took place at Northwestern University in The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center located in Evanston, IL., and actors were tasked with performing a song and dance sequence, Langas said.

These young performers were given the opportunity to work with professionals throughout the whole process allowing them to develop their skills and craft, Kaplan said.

“[Younger actors] rely a lot on the experience and the advice of people who are older,” Kaplan said. “So it’s a great way for them to make professional connections and get a taste of what it’s like in show business.”

Since this was a professional musical, there were more understudies than a typical high school performance, Langas said.  She was cast as a swing ensemble member which meant she had to learn three different ensemble roles, including their choreography and lines, and be ready to jump into the role at any given moment.

“It was really interesting to understand how much work goes into being an understudy, because I don’t think I appreciated them enough [before Hairspray],” Langas said. “There’s a bit of a stigma that understudies don’t have to work as hard, but I had to work three times as hard as people on stage because I had to learn three [different roles].”

As a swing ensemble member, Langas learned how to take on a less traditional part and her individual value as a performer in the production even when wasn’t seen on stage.

“Being in any production before a professional production is helpful,” Langas said. “You learn how to show yourself off, move around, and make sure you look confident on stage.”

Beyond the spotlight, there were other opportunities within Uptown’s Hairspray production, and for Movafaghi that meant playing in the pit orchestra. Movafaghi played the guitar and got to improve his passion in a professional setting, he said.

“Most guitar parts [in the show] are a lot of do whatever you want to make this sound nice,” Movafaghi said. “So it was fun that I got to experiment with a lot of different chords and rhythms.”

Langas and Movafaghi’s ability to thrive during the production of Hairspray was due to their skills learned through the Fine Arts Department at South, Langas and Movafaghi said. Encouragement from South led them to participate in opportunities like this, Movafaghi said.

“It was great to see [South] students I knew, people I knew from [GSO], and alumni that I haven’t seen in ages all coming together again,” Movafaghi said. “You [could] call that my full circle moment.”