A week before winter break, senior Jessi Whittemore gasped with excitement as she read her name next to the role of Dolly. Now, after three months of memorizing lines, learning music and rehearsing choreography, Whittemore, along with the rest the cast and crew of “Hello, Dolly!” is preparing for the show’s premiere on Wednesday, April 22.

Since the first week of February, cast members have spent at least two hours each afternoon in preparation for the show, which students auditioned for in December. After-school practices began with simply reading through the script, and eventually stretched to full dress rehearsals as the premiere date approached.

“Everything has been really fast paced,” senior Adriana Caamano said. “You have to take [the choreography and the music] home and learn it because there isn’t enough time after school to get to everyone’s part.”

Despite the challenge and time commitment of putting together a two-hour musical, cast members like senior Alexa Johnson, who shares the lead role of Dolly with Whittemore, have embraced the opportunity to share their passions with friends and classmates.

“We all love theatre and we get to do it together every single day for two hours after school and that’s really cool,” Johnson said.

Though the Wednesday show is invite-only, “Hello, Dolly!” will run from April 23 – 25 for the general public, with each show beginning at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets can be ordered in advance through the school’s website or at lunch for $7, and will be available at the door for $9.

“It’s a really intricate and funny show,” Caamano said. “I hope [the audience] takes with them the charm that Dolly and the rest of the characters bring to the stage.”