Name: Arielle Pedersen

School: Valley Park High School

Talent: Musical Theatre

How long have you been performing and what inspired you to start?
I have been performing for eight years.  I watched Phantom of the Opera as an 8 year old, fell in love with it and it sparked my love of musical theatre.

How are you preparing for finals? Are you doing anything differently from your usual practices?
Vocally, I am not doing anything different.  However, I have a lot of tech to do.

What will performing on the Fox stage mean to you?
It is a tremendous honor to be considered to be one of the the most talented high school students in the area.  When I look at the types of skills the others have and how we are scattered all over our region, I am blown away.

Is there someone you look up to and draw influence form for your talent?
Julie Andrews and Sierra Boggess

What has been the highlight of your performance career?
Being in the equity adult ensemble of Mary Poppins for Variety Theatre in 2019. Yes, this gig allowed me to enter equity candidacy.  However, my heart was bound (and still is) to the Variety children.

What do you hope to learn from your experience?
I hope to absorb what is takes from a backstage prospective to put a professional show on.