Mrs. Falk: So, we're already at 659 right now.

Okay, so the biggest thing I can tell you today first two things one, give give to the audience like think about that in every number.

What can I give?

If you give, they will take that in latch on and ride with you the whole show and it will seriously be like magical.

Okay, where is it?

Let's do this guys.

1-2-3 [cheer Welcome to Xanadu, the Kearns High productions companies spring musical.

Thank you so much for supporting the arts here at Kearns High School and enjoy Xanadu.

Wonderful My name is Kami Falk.

And I'm the theatre teacher here at Kearns High School.

I'm going to be singing A Whole New World from Aladdin.

I definitely had to go through a journey.

So I went to BYU and I wanted to be a music dance theater major.

I wanted it so bad.

And I tried again and again and I did not get in.

I was devastated at the time.

I just thought my whole life was over that I wasn't going to be a musical theater major and I could never act again.

I remember the first time someone said, I'm a theater Ed major.

And I said you what?

Theyre like I teach.

I'm learni to be a theater teacher.

The minute they said that, it clicked in my brain I just was like, that's what I meant to do.

What in the world have I been doing this entire time?

Oh, how cute is she?

Pitchy, pitchy, pitchy.

number 11 is a no - She's very polished, great vocals, very powerful.

Good Energy.

- Bless her heart.

Ninth grader.

- Yeah, no, - She looks super cute though.

- Kearns, KTown, Cougar country, whatever you want to call it.

It's home.

A lot of people see us as Oh Kearns is ghetto Kearns is old.

Oh Kearns is ugly.

Shut up.

We don't care.

- People think that we're all these like gangster thug people that we're all really poor, that we shoot each other a lot.

And we don't.

Were just were like every other city.

I think people just tend to focus more on the negative - Socioeconomically I feel like it is in general poorer but there's kids from all walks of life here - Okay - Man, the minute I heard of Xanadu, I'm just what is that?

- I lost you, I lost you.

- It is a mixture of Greek mythology.

And the 1980s - Be like, so cheesy backup singer.

Yes, so youre here and Yoke muses 1980s.

Roller skating.

I don't see why.

That combination is not clear to you if like what the plots about?

Come on.

[laughs] Okay.

And then you come here and you're - - Well, I'm Lindsey Woodward.

I like theater.

I have a birthmark I play Melpomene.

She's a total brat.

She's like me, she's very sassy.

She's just, she's so much fun to play.

I relate to her on many levels.

♪You fly, so high♪ - Melpomene, she's like the main evil sister.

And then I'm like her sidekick.

And I just follow around and just agree with her ♪[singing “Strange Magic]♪ When we started learning music, I was thinking, oh my gosh, why did she cast me because I was like, scared that I was gonna get all the music wrong.

But then I made a goal for myself to practice every day.

And now I feel like all that practice is paying off and I am bringing a good character to the stage [inaudible] ♪[singing “Evil Woman ”]♪ - You have got to go through these every single day from here out.

There is no, I'm just not going to practice this.

We just learned this two days ago.

It can't happen.

You know, we don't have time for this.

We don't have time left.

- Thank you for helping me.

[chatter] - Katie, her father passed away Sunday morning, very suddenly.

She has been struggling with getting her first big lead role.

And knowing that her dad is not going to be there when she performs that.

I think that's gonna be really hard for her.

It's a comedy too, of all the types of shows to be doing right now.

You know, I'm supposed to ham it up.

I'm supposed to this not at probably like the most difficult time in her entire life.

- When I found out, I had this part, I came home and just literally like screamed, he was really excited for me.

And just the day he died.

That was the first thing that came in my mind that he won't be able to see it - I don't know what it is?

Anyti we teach.

It's just in one ear out the other.

A lot of people I don't know what to do.

Because the sopranos are really really strong.

And so now I'm reconsidering learning every note to the entire show, j so that we can have one harmony.

I want to be an actress on Broadway.

Definitely definitely want to be a Broadway actress.

I didn't think that I had really anything special to offer.

But ninth grade everybody was just like, oh my gosh, you're so amazing.

And then I was like, Oh, am I good at this.

Apparently I am.

♪[singing “Evil Woman ”]♪ - Its very, very competitive, you have to fit the right body type, the right face type, the right everything.

Like I'm not much of an ingenue.

But I'm ready.

So ready to be rejected a whole bunch of times before I'm finally told yes.

As long as I get to Broadway, I'm good.

- I think anybody who hears that girl sing knows that she's special, but it's not just her voice.

She gets the stage she gets performing.

She just gets it ♪singing♪ I hope she performs professionally.

She should like if anybody I've ever taught should it's her Theater is expensive.

And it's hard for my kids to compete sometimes against kids at other schools that have been taking voice lessons since they were 10 and have been able to afford that.

♪ Suddenly, I don't need the answers.

♪ - They're like what can I do to improve, voice lessons?

I can't afford that.

Dance lessons.

I can't afford that.

Okay.

The kids here that stand out are generally just naturally talented and really lucky I'm not interested in crushing their dreams, but it is difficult as a drama teacher to try to like also explain to them the reality of the situation.

Sometimes here at Kearns theyre big fish in a little pond and that's a harsh reality when they leave.

Sometimes I just like these kids need me and I feel like I have something to give them - always like swing your eye up and make it hard to do.

- sorry maybe she said don't squint your eyes, okay.

- okay guys, we just need to do makeup check.

Youll shave Yeah, maybe more eyeliner, lip, we got to do stage makeup.

This is not everyday makeup.

Heck people every day are contouring now so I guess it kind of is but like you know what I mean?

My brother was in the middle school musical the week of my dad died.

So like just a few days after he died he had to perform for everyone and on opening night like a lot of our family came to support him and we could feel our dad was there I'm really hoping that I can like feel that tonight and just be there with me on stage and help me [chatter] [chatter] - I dont want them to wish after that they had tried harder that they had done more.

So I always say no regrets, guys.

No regrets, like, leave it all on the stage.

Everything you've gotten, give the audience everything this is about theater is about giving.

Then these become the experiences that they never forget.

Because they're so proud of what they've done and what they gave.

That it's just, it's memorable.

It makes an impact.

They remember those experiences for the rest of their life.