By Lauren Barbour

[email protected]

Offering programs in fields such as music, graphic design and writing, the Interlochen Center for the Arts seems like the place to be for any artist. This past summer, Senior Nicholas Howe got to experience it for himself as he traveled to Traverse City, Mich. to take part in a seven-week summer program for musical theatre, which included a production of  “Les Miserables.”

Howe said, “Knowing that I was going to go and do ‘Les Mis,’ which is such a well-known show, with amazing castmates working with the most amazing directors in this magical place is just a dream come true for someone who is so passionate about musical theatre.”

After a rigorous audition process, which was conducted via video and consisted of two songs, one monologue, an explanation about why he wanted to attend, as well as what acting meant to him and a one-minute dance audition, Howe was selected to attend the summer camp. “It was about two weeks after I auditioned and I was kind of getting in that mindset that, ‘Well, it’s been two weeks, they probably haven’t accepted me,’” he recounted, “And then I get an email from my mom saying, ‘Oh, well they accepted you like two days after you auditioned. The email just didn’t come through.’ So I literally screamed in the chorus room and ran to my chorus teacher and was like, ‘I got in!’”

Junior Alexandria Ireijo also auditioned for Interlochen’s musical theatre program but was not accepted. “I definitely was disappointed because it is a great program. I mean, I would love to have the opportunity to go there and learn and stuff like that but I knew that if it wasn’t this thing, it would be something else so I tried to look at the bright side of things,” she said.

Once at the camp, Howe spent a week attending workshops before auditioning once again, this time for a role in the production of “Les Miserables.” “It was a fun auditioning process, especially because I came a week earlier for the workshops so I got to know the directors and I felt really comfortable auditioning when a lot of people were stressed out of their minds. But after you get to know somebody and they know you, you feel a lot more relaxed,” Howe said.

Although he originally auditioned for the role of Thenardier, Howe ended up as the foreman, as well as various ensemble characters, such as Javert’s guard and a wedding guest. “I ended up not getting the role that I wanted but I did get a substantial role that I ended up loving in the end,” he said, “It was a smaller part but I still had a solo, so in the end I think it was definitely worth the experience.”

Howe has also appeared in productions at MHS and other theatres around the island but “Les Miserables” has been one of the most professional pieces he’s worked in. “I do things at Paliku Theatre and yes, those are pretty professional too but this was the closest to Broadway I could imagine getting at this age,” he said. He particularly favored the sets. “We had platforms and smoke machines and ladders and it was one of the most fun sets to play on. So I think the production side of it and the costuming and the lights just made it all the more professional and you could really get into what you were doing onstage,” he said.

Aside from benefiting creatively, Howe returned with new maturity. His mother, Therisia Howe, commented, “He came home and humbly said, ‘I have a lot of work to do. I need to get serious and stop messing around.’ He immediately stepped up his performance classes, met with his counselor about college and he seems to take a more mature approach in how he views his future.”

At the moment, Nicholas Howe does not plan on auditioning for Interlochen again. “I could audition but my philosophy is that I’ve done Interlochen once, I want to see what else is out there,” he stated, “I want to make more connections in different places so people know me and I know them.”

While Nicholas Howe would like to continue exploring his options, he still recommends the program to anyone thinking of it. “No matter what level you are, that’s not what they’re looking for. They’re looking for potential and if you’re passionate about what you do and you want to be there and you want to learn, then you belong at a place like that,” he said.

Howe’s most recent audition was for the role of Peter Pan at the Paliku Theatre. He also plans on taking part in MHS’ production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as a costume designer and auditioning for “Shrek the Musical” at Diamond Head Theatre.