THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH SOUNDS OF MUSIC

Jeremy Welch and Kelly Russell are attuned to two versions of "The Sound of Music".

One version is for Southwest Missouri State University to call, informing them that they have been chosen for drama scholarships from among more than 40 applicants.

Considering the fact that this would lead to work with directors from New York in a studio funded by John Goodman, such a call would be music to their ears.

The other has to do with practices leading up to the culmination of the musical by the same name.

Perhaps it is fitting, then, that the Cape Girardeau Central High theater enthusiasts carry the promise of both worlds into their lead roles in "The Sound of Music."

The show will take place at Central High Auditorium March 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30 each night.

"From what I've heard it's (Southwest) the best drama school in the state," said Welch, who is playing Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music." Added Welch, "After all, John Goodman and Kathleen Turner came from there."

Welch has thirsted for more experience in the theater ever since he got his first taste over a year ago.

"Ever since my first role in a play called "Rumors" last year, I've known that I want to have something to do with the theater," said Welch, who failed in his first attempt to land a role in "The King and I" when he was in eighth grade.

"I went back as a junior and tried again because a friend told me I'd probably get picked," he said. "I guess I knew I would try at least one more time."

Both Welch and Russell managed to take time out of a hectic schedule to audition for drama scholarships at the Springfield, Mo., campus last weekend.

"We read two monologues, one serious and one from a comedy, and then we had the choice of whether or not to sing," explained Russell, who plays the part of Maria in "The Sound of Music."

Russell, who must weigh whether or not she wants theater over tennis, read a serious monologue from the play "Shadow Box," a comedic monologue from "Southern Belle," and sang a song from "Evita."

"I didn't really have much time to prepare for the readings at Southwest, so I got my mom to help me out," said Russell. "She asked me how I was able to get the Southern drawl down so well for `Southern Belle;' I told her all I had to do was remember what people sounded like when we lived in Georgia and Alabama."

Welch believes he can take what he's experienced from life and spend it on his roles to become believable as a character.

"You can't just go up there and read some lines and expect the audience to buy into your character," he explained. "You really have to believe you're who you are playing to get them to believe it."

Welch read from "I Never Sang For My Father" and "Little Footsteps."

"I just thought those would be good monologues under the timeframe they gave us," he said. "One had to be no longer than five minutes. It had to be half serious, half humorous. The other had to be two and a half minutes. I'm not sure how well I did compared to the others because you never get a chance to compare. Still, I thought it was a good experience."

Russell elected to read monologues that would leave a lasting impression on the theater professors at Southwest Missouri State.

"I chose a girl from `Shadow Box' because it's a demanding role and one that would leave an impression," she said. "It's a girl who has just found out that her mother was going insane."

Russell first got hooked on the stage when she sang the national anthem for a PTA group at the tender age of 5. Since then she has acted in several plays and musicals, exposing herself to as many roles as possible.

"I really enjoy doing it," she said. "I want to continue acting for a while, but I don't know how serious I want to get with it. There's still the decision on whether or not I want to take a tennis scholarship at Mizzou."

That decision will likely be based on what happens with the results of her audition at Southwest Missouri State.

"I guess I did okay," she said. "The hardest part was doing the comedy monologue because you need to have your timing down and you're reading before directors who aren't going to laugh," she said. "It was a little strange to say lines that are supposed to be funny to people who stare at you with a straight face."

Neither Russell nor Welch will have that problem when they embark on their final production at Cape Central High School.

"It's been a little hard, but fun learning my role in this musical," said Welch. "I've never sung on stage before, and I've never danced, either. It's good for me, though, because it could lead to a role in the future."

Sounds like music to an actor's ears.