Minnetonka Student Grew Up on Stage

In second grade, Katie Halloran got a part in a musical. She’s been singing and acting ever since.

The junior is currently rehearsing for her role in .

“Playing a ditzy and enthusiastic sorority girl is something I never thought I'd do, because I'm nothing like my character,” said Halloran. “But I love the challenge.”

“It's fun to get onstage and become a completely different person,” she added.  “When you get to play a variety of characters, it opens your mind to other points of view.”

The theater program is what lured Halloran to Minnetonka from Orono High School last fall.

“I saw Minnetonka's production of Phantom of the Opera and when the show ended I kept saying, ‘I have to go to this school’,” she said. “I had never been so impressed by a group of high school students.”

Although she misses her Orono friends, Halloran said, “Transferring to Minnetonka was the best decision I ever made. The resources available here are unreal, and I feel blessed to be a part of such an amazing school.”

She quickly got involved in Minnetonka Theatre, playing a vampire bride in Dracula- The Musical.

Halloran likes the bond that forms between cast members. “By the end of a show, your fellow actors become more like a family than a cast,” she said. 

Being in numerous theater productions taught Halloran to overcome stage fight. 

“Immediately before I enter my scene, I’m always nervous,” she said. “But once I step onstage that feeling usually goes away. Unless my character is supposed to be nervous, I'm not going let myself show the audience that I feel that way. Being completely in character changes the way the audience reacts to the story.”

Halloran is inspired by Barbra Streisand and Broadway actors Sutton Foster and Idina Menzel.

Her favorite musical is Les Miserables, and she had the role of Eponine in Blue Water Theatre Company’s version in February.   

Her advice to aspiring young actors? 

“Show confidence whenever you perform," she said. “People can have a great voice but no stage presence and that can hurt their chances of getting into the show.” 

When she’s not studying or rehearsing, Halloran enjoys reading and is currently immersed in Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. 

She also writes poetry, and her favorite poet is Robert Frost.

Although just a junior, Halloran is thinking about graduation and touring colleges.

“I would like to go to NYU to major in musical theater,” she said. “I'm also looking at the University of Michigan, Boston Conservatory and Elon University.” During spring break, she will visit schools.

Although she’s excited to go away to college, she will miss a Halloran family tradition. 

“My entire family is very Irish so on St. Patrick's Day, my house is covered in green, Celtic music plays all day, and we have corned beef and cabbage for dinner,” she said. “It's my favorite holiday because my house turns into Ireland for 24 hours.”

Where does she see herself after college?

“Hopefully onstage doing what I love and inspiring kids to give theater a try,” Halloran said. “Theater is an art that allows you to learn more about yourself and the people around you.”

Showings of Legally Blonde run between April 20 and May 12. Tickets can be purchased online.