Three hard-working seniors are preparing for their last EHS musical. “Mamma Mia!” will open on April 28 and 29. Ella Testas, Aaron Castro, and Bella MacKendrick have been doing musicals at Edgewood for a long time and now have to say goodbye. 

 “I’m dreading it already,” Ella Testas said about having to leave Edgewood. Ella plays the lead role, Sophie Sheridan, and “Mamma Mia!” will be her seventh musical at Edgewood.  

Aaron, playing the role of Harry Bright, will miss the friendships in the musicals more than the musicals. “I guess I am kinda sad about it being the last musical here just because…like, part of the musical for me is hanging out with friends more than the musical itself,” Aaron said. While he loves music, he doesn’t intend to major in it at college. “I still wanna do music in college like choir and stuff like that, cause I do love music,” Aaron said. “You know that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life is music, but not as a career no.” 

Bella, playing the role of Ali, only knows the EHS stage. “I’ve done six [musicals] and they’ve all been at Edgewood,” Bella said. “It is hard because it’s been my family and home for the last 4 years.” Especially because for her, the theater is a place where she can show her voice and be her true self. Music has impacted her so much she plans to major in music education in college.  

Ella loves theater because of the creativity. “It really gave me a creative outlet to kinda be a person who I’m not,” Ella said. “It’s like a therapy for me.” Theater has been a part of her life for a very long time. It’s very important to her. “I’m very grateful for Edgewood to give me these opportunities,” Ella said. Theater will always have a special place in her heart. 

Aaron believes theater is all about putting on a show for everyone. He wants to entertain his friends in practice and entertain everyone on stage. “For me if there was no audience what’s the point of theater,” Aaron said. 

Ella auditioned with the song “Thank You For The Music”, from “Mamma Mia!”. Aaron auditioned with “I Believe”, from “The Book of Mormon”. Bella auditioned with the song “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, from “Grease”. 

“Mamma Mia!” is about Sophie Sheridan’s wedding and finding her father. On the night before her wedding, she goes on a quest to find her father. She brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they visited 20 years ago to attempt to figure out who it is. The story is a “jukebox musical” because it is told with the help of Swedish pop band ABBA’s songs. The main idea of Mamma Mia is that sometimes you must take a daring chance and risk everything to achieve your dreams.