Nadia Thue Makes Dream Come True

Nadia Thue’s dream of being a princess came true when she walked onto the stage of the MHS theater to portray Belle in Beauty and the Beast on April 5-6.

“Beauty and the Beast” has been special to me for a long time,” Nadia says “Belle was always my favorite princess when I was growing up. When I was in third grade, my family saw the musical at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, and I can’t count how many times I have seen the live-action movie. Without question, it is my favorite Disney show.” Nadia explains that she was drawn to Belle in particular because, “I related to her sense of adventure and love of reading.”  

After playing the part of Belle, Nadia ranks it as “ my favorite thing that I have done in my high school career. She thinks the most challenging aspect was balancing her busy schedule. “I have track and field every day after school, and before the season started, I was working at Whimsy on Main. I dance Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights every week. The times for dance and theater overlap, so I had to adjust my schedule for each activity, and I could never fully be at both. I also missed two track meets. Not being 100 percent there for anyone was the hardest part.”

Although she realized the last couple of months were the busiest of her life. She adds, “The outcome was worth it.”  And all things considered, she had been preparing for the role much longer. “I have been dancing since I was in kindergarten,” she notes. I dance ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, character, non syllabus, and contemporary.

“My dad (Chad) asked me, ‘How long have you been practicing these songs?’ I said,‘six years.’” Because of this, Nadia says, “Stepping into the role of Belle was easy. I also prepared by listening to the music, practicing with our vocal director, singing along at pit orchestra practices, and enlisting my mom (Amy) to help me memorize my lines.” 

She also admits to dropping hints for two years in hopes that Beauty and the Beast would be selected for an MHS production. If you’ve ever gone to battle with a pint-sized princess, who insists on wearing her pink tulle skirt for the tenth day in a row and her Elsa pajamas every night, you understand the persuasion of a princess. “I even suggested Nick Fonder, who played the role of the Beast, sing the song ‘Evermore’ during the Pops concert last year,” Nadia adds. However, her favorite song that Nick sang in the play was “If I Can’t Love Her.” “Nick is, without a doubt, one of the most talented members of our choir,” Nadia says. “I am grateful to have sung with him.”

The costumes for Beauty and Beast – from Belle’s iconic yellow and blue dresses to the furry fierceness of the Beast– were all charming, but Nadia loved the costumes created for the “Be Our Guest” segment the most. The exuberant scene features dancing plates and other fanciful objects. “My favorite costume was worn by Cogsworth the enchanted clock, but I loved every household item’s outfit,” Nadia says. She also thought the dynamic between Lumiere (Parker Grabow as the enchanted candle) and Cogsworth (Hunter Reede as the enchanted clock) was perfect. “They made it hard for us to stay serious on stage.” 

Reprise repeated as Nadia’s favorite scene. “This has always been my favorite scene and song in the movie,” she explains. “The passion Belle has as she freely sings about her dreams in beautiful, open scenery always made an impression on me. Once I sang this song in our production, I was at peace for the rest of the show and fully immersed in their world. The song I worked on and that I knew the least, “A Change in Me,” quickly became a favorite, too,” she adds. “I have always sung soprano, but my lower range has grown over the last year. Being able to sing such a meaningful song that is perfectly in my range, was very memorable for me. During Saturday night’s performance of this song, it was the best I have ever felt singing in the theater. I couldn’t have picked a better way to sing my last solo on the MHS stage.”

Nadia says she noticed the entire cast also undergoing a transformation. “From Thursday at the dress rehearsal to Saturday’s performance, everyone kept improving. I can’t believe it was real, let alone that it’s over. I already wish we could perform again. I am so proud of everyone. Musicals are hard work, but thanks to the directors, pit, and crew, we were able to pull it off. We were a team and it took a lot of moving parts to make it work.” 

Nadia encourages students thinking about auditioning for MHS productions to take a chance. “Go for it! Be confident, and have fun because you will find a second family in the theater. The people involved are what make the shows fun.”

Nadia got hooked on acting after she landed her first part as an ensemble member in Les Misérables. As a junior, she played Elaine, the love interest in Arsenic and Old Lace, and then the motorist in Clue. This year, she served as the narrator in Willy Wonka and the guide and Jill in the annual one-act play. But she says,”Belle was my dream role, so this opportunity meant more than I can say.” 

Has Nadia taken her final bow? Only at MHS. She will be heading to SDSU next fall and she says, “I hope to be in productions there.” It will be an exciting time for her to try new things and to fashion new dreams in the theater and out. She will find her LaDuca shoe on the other foot as people remind her to be confident, have fun, and go for it. As actress Josie Bisset of Melrose Place fame said, “Dreams always come in a size too big so that we may grow into them.”

MHS Cast and Crew of Beauty and the Beast:

Photos Courtesy of Anna Laskowske and Amy Thue