As the debut of the musical 42nd Street neared, many students wondered who the star of the show would be. Senior Kallie Lindquist is a front runner to capture the eyes of the audience.

Lindquist, the female lead, portrays Peggy Sawyer, a naïve young actress who moves to New York to “make her mark” on the world by taking a role in the chorus of Julian Marsh’s new project, Pretty Lady. When the star of the show breaks her ankle, Peggy is forced to take the stage. With less than 36 hours until showtime, Peggy is short on time to learn her new lines and ten new dance numbers.

Taking on the lead role in such a large project can be incredibly difficult, especially when someone has to learn a whole new style of dance along with the other aspects of a musical. With tap dancing playing a big part in the show, Lindquist had to not only learn how to tap dance, but also how to perform a song and keep her composure during the show. With the help of multiple choreographers, Lindquist overcame this obstacle.

With this being her first time having the lead role, Linqduist has put in countless hours to perfect her dance routine, lines, and stage presence in order to perform her best on stage.

“Every rehearsal, Kallie is just working her butt off. Even when she’s not on stage, she’s somewhere else running lines or songs, running dance steps, or getting help with other things,” director Casey Allen said.

The lead role has a huge part in how smooth the show runs. Lindquist’s performance will bring out the best in the rest of the cast, including senior Colin McMahon, who portrays Julian Marsh.

“A lot of performing is about trust with the other people that are on stage with you and I definitely can say that I have absolute trust in Kallie,” McMahon said.

Lindquist is a hard working, talented young actress who takes this Musical to a whole new level, improving the choreography and chorus of the show. She puts in the work to perfect her performance.

“I remember watching Kallie try out for a solo for the middle school show choir and seeing her nerves about singing in front of the whole class,” senior Mallory Ringenberg said. “It’s so fun to see her now confidently perform in front of the entire school.”

You can see Kallie Lindquist in action on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m., or Sunday at 2 p.m.