Dani Franke ’23 was initially drawn to acting when she auditioned for her sixth grade middle school play, “The Christmas Carol,” with her friends. She loves acting in different genres and experimenting with her different artistic skillsets. Although theater can occasionally become stressful and competitive, being on stage with her friends encourages her to continue the activity. In the PHS rendition of the musical “Newsies,” Dani Franke played Katherine Plumber, the lead female role. Additionally, she loves singing, specifically jazz music, and is a part of the a cappella group Around 8. In the future, Franke hopes to continue her musical journey by displaying her talents on tour.

What encouraged you to do musical theater?

I don’t think anything encouraged me to do it. I just really love it. I love being on stage and getting to sing and act with all my friends. I love to dance too, so that’s why I like musical theater, because you get to do all three at the same time.

How is your current experience in Around 8?

We’re like a family, and I love everyone in Around 8. It’s so much fun to take a song that we all want to sing, and we just sing it. We start picking up the lines, the basses start a baseline, we start a soprano melody, and someone starts singing a solo. The performances are really fun too, but really just getting to casually sing is great.

What is the best performance you’ve put on, in your opinion?

I really loved my performance in “Curtains” last year. I was in the dance ensemble. I really love to dance, and since I didn’t have any singing parts, I got to focus on dancing. I really got to work on my acting and character analysis because I had to make up my own character and storyline, so it really helped me use that for the role I’m in right now. It was really fun, and I worked really hard to make sure I got everything perfect.

What skills have you gained that have helped you perform effectively?

I’ve definitely improved vocally. I’m singing in jazz band, choir, and musical theater, and having all those different styles of music really helped my vocal ability excel. I’ve never really taken dance classes, but being in musicals has helped me become a better dancer.

What do you do to calm your nerves before a show?

I like to go around and help everyone else make sure their hair and makeup is done and they’re all good. It really helps me almost forget about the fact that I’m about to go on stage. So, talking to people helps me forget about the fact that I’m going to go on stage in five minutes.

What do you love about the story of “Newsies”?

I like the idea of the underdog. The newsboys don’t have a lot, and even though the antagonist, Pulitzer, has all this power, the newsboys still come together and fight for what they believe in, which is really inspiring.

What has the process of making the musical come together been like?

It’s been so much fun, and it’s also been very stressful. First, we start blocking rehearsals, where we have scripts out with no set, which is a really long process. We also have dance rehearsals, where we learn the dances and go over them a million times. The hard thing is that sometimes we block scene one, and we learn the first dance. Then, we won’t do that for three weeks because we’re learning all the other stuff in the show, and then we just have to do it. So, it’s really hard because you want to practice what you’re working on, but you also need to make sure you practice what you already worked on. So it’s time consuming, but it’s so much fun. Once we have it all together, we get to add the set, the mics, and the costumes, and we’re able to see everything come together. Also, since we’re double cast, I get to watch the show half of the time, and seeing everything come to life is so rewarding after all that hard work.

Where do you see your career in ten years?

If I continue music, I’d hope to be with a band on a tour. If I do musical theater, I hope I get to be on a world tour of some show. If it’s not music, I’m probably going to end up going to school for psychology, social work, or possibly teaching.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take part in a musical or go into singing?

Try it, 100 percent. Auditioning can be really nerve wracking, but the second it’s over, you realize it wasn’t so bad. Being a part of musical theater is so much fun, and singing is something that everyone should be able to enjoy. Don’t be afraid to join because it is such a loving and accepting community. Go with an open mind and be ready to learn.