It was a busy day on Saturday (July 23) for talented teen Ashley Schultheiss.
The Grade 10 student from Howe Sound Secondary School belted out O Canada at the GearJammer mountain bike race at 11 a.m. but she also had to save some of her voice to dazzle the crowd as Miss Adelaide during the Broadway or Bust Summer Camp's production of the musical production of Guys and Dolls.
"I wasn't too worried about losing my voice," she said, when asked about the vocally challenging schedule.
And her cast mates were probably thankful for her durability.
Schultheiss and dozens of other aspiring performers spent three weeks rehearsing, practicing and memorizing everything necessary to put on two plays and thrill audiences at two sold-out shows on Friday and Saturday (July 22 and 23) at the Eagle Eye Theatre.
"It was a lot of fun," Schultheiss said. "The memorizing part was pretty hard but I really enjoyed everything. Just the entire atmosphere made the three weeks so much fun."
Fellow cast member Emma Wong, who played Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, agreed with her co-star.
"It's been an amazing three weeks," she said. "The first week was demanding and it's a lot of singing and practicing, about six hours a day. I really enjoyed the whole camp but the best part was the final product."
"It's been great, I've loved it and I've met so many amazing people," said Sam Sherlock, who played Sky Masterton. "The best part definitely was going out there and performing but just going to the camp was a lot of fun."
It's the eighth year for the Broadway or Bust Summer Camp, which is run by the Squamish Academy of Music. Artistic director Melissa Braun said this was another memorable year for the camp.
"I thought it went excellent and the kids looked really good out there," she said. "It's been a really great summer this year and I think the senior kids especially got a lot out of it."
The camp, which had attendees between the ages of six and 18, saw the senior children work on Guys and Dolls, while the younger group performed Bugsy Malone. Braun said a lot of credit goes to the parents who help make the camp possible.
"They're all very supportive and they seem to be really encouraging of their children," she said. "It's hard to say what the highlight of the entire camp would be but there are always those little moments where someone shines."
Several of the stars recommended the camp to anyone interested in performing. Many expect to be back next year.
"I'd tell them to do it," said Kyra Engler, who performed in Guys and Dolls. "Even the youngest kids get constructive criticism and it's just so much fun."
"I would definitely recommend it," Sherlock said. "It's a great experience. You pretty much learn how to do a play in only three weeks. Before I came to this camp, I had no idea how to do any of this."
For more information on upcoming programs offered by the Squamish Academy of Music, visit www.squamishacademyofmusic.com.
