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Musical 'Aida' features local talent in lead roles
 | | Colecta Johnson and Nielah, both Pensacola residents, play lead roles in the musical, Aida, at OWCC Arts Center. |
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With less than a month until show time, local performers are eagerly rehearsing scenes from AIDA, this summer's largescale musical production that will be presented July 12 to 15 on the main stage of The Arts Center at Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville. Theater students and seasoned community actors come together every year for this highly anticipated community event, including two actors from Pensacola in lead roles.
AIDA tells the story of a forbidden love between an Egyptian soldier and an enslaved princess who come from two warring nations. The Elton John and Tim Rice musical features a contemporary pop/rock score and will be presented in its original Broadway version by a cast of 40 performers and 33 musicians and singers.
Johnson, a UWF alumnus with a degree in biology, first fell in love with the story of AIDA in high school. After watching the musical on Broadway on a trip to New York, she knew it was something she wanted.
"It was something I always wanted to do. It is a piece of my dream," said the theater veteran. Johnson was a member of the Pensacola Children's Chorus and performed with the Pensacola Little Theatre. The Pensacola resident plays Nehebka in the show and is the understudy for the lead role of Aida.
A former OWC graduate and Show Choir member, Nielah, had never even heard of the musical AIDA. However, after a little research, she jumped at the chance to play in AIDA.
"It was like it was made for me," she explained, noting that she is a researcher of African history. The New York native is also a graduate of the New York School of the Arts, a singer/choreographer with a touring gospel group, and a past OWC Dance Facets performer. Nielah plays the lead of Aida.
AIDA was originally presented on Broadway as a Disney Theatricals venture. The show earned five Tony nominations and won Best Original Score. An all-star album featuring songs from the musical was released in 1999 with the song "Written in the Stars", performed by Elton John and Lee Ann Rimes, becoming a hit on the Billboard charts. OWC has produced large-scale musicals on the main stage of The Arts Center every year since 1997 to rave community reviews.
Tickets for the show are available by calling the box office at 729-6000 or online at The Arts Center web site at www.owc.edu/arts for $20 adults and $15 for youth age 18 and younger. Current OWC students may obtain complimentary tickets with a student ID.
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