Lights, camera, music!

More than a dozen Nodaway Valley students have been hard at work the last few weeks preparing for their fall musical, which has two showings this weekend.

The musical actors and actresses are preparing “Gideon and the Blundersnorp.”

According to information released by the Nodaway Valley Drama Department, this show depicts Gideon (Micah Cronk), a stablehand who yearns to join the Royal Cavaliers. Alanna (Melanie Kilborn) is a young viscountess who feels trapped in the system of hereditary succession.

The two have more in common than they think. Thrown together by chance, Gideon and Alanna must contend with bandits, a treacherous forest and a giant monster that wants to eat everyone, called a blundersnort.

“This show is very fun and there are a lot of different things I like about it,” said junior Bella Day, who portrays the troubador and narrarates the show. “It’s about a peasant boy who gets the chance to save a knight. He meets this young girl along the way. They both get captured and get to fight a monster in the end. It’s super fun and you never really know what’s going to come next.”

Kilborn’s character “thinks she’s better than everyone else,” especially Gideon. Especially during the fight with the blundersnorp, she’ll go above and beyond to make sure others see her.

“I really enjoy my character. She’s a lot of fun to play,” Kilborn said. “I always enjoy working with all of the cast and crew members here.”

Cronk said his character was born in a time where if you weren’t born into royalty or rich, you’re not going to attain a big title and are destined to merely remain a peasant.

“He has this big dream of being a cavalier. He overhears that this blundersnorp is attacking his little village,” Cronk said. “The whole musical is my character trying to fight his way through obstacles to save this cavalier and hopefully someday become a cavalier himself.”

The musical, about an hour in length, is 7 p.m. this Friday and Saturday evening in the high school auditorium. Tickets may be purchased through www.gobound.com.