ASHLAND — Milo McDonald spends his Sundays driving an hour each way from Ashland to Sandusky for rehearsals at Caryl Crane Youth Theatre.
“I like how you can just escape into a whole different world and just be whoever you want,” McDonald said.
McDonald, an Ashland Middle School eighth grader, was asked to join the team at Caryl Crane Youth Theatre after the theatre’s director saw him in “Fun Home” at Mansfield’s Renaissance Theatre.
McDonald’s most recent roles
- “The Music Man,” Tommy Djilas — Kroc Center Theater
- “Amélie,” Lucien — Caryl Crane Youth Theatre
- “Aladdin Jr.,” Razoul — Renaissance Theatre
- “Beauty and the Beast,” Castle spirit/dance ensemble — Renaissance Theatre
- “Peter Pan Jr.,” Peter Pan — Mansfield Playhouse
- “Trouble at the Mill,” Simon Stoneheart/Rough Rider — Renaissance Theatre
- “Fun Home,” Christian — Renaissance Theatre
His hard work paid off last week at the Musical Theatre Competition of America. The annual contest took place in California this year.
At the event, students can perform monologues, solos, duets and dance for the judges, in addition to competing with a group member.
Team members are scored individually, but their scores are added up to get a team score, McDonald explained.
McDonald performed in a group number from “Amélie,” along with a solo, duet and dancing.
His team came home national champions.
McDonald won individual accolades as well: he was selected for the competition’s All-Star team. That team selects only 35 students out of 1,200 nationwide.
“It was so much fun,” McDonald said. “I loved it so much, and got such good feedback as well.”
‘Born for musical theater’
McDonald described the three-and-a-half day competition as a great experience.
For him, one of the most valuable parts of the weekend was receiving feedback from the judges. They advised McDonald to bring more action into his face and “spot” his turns.
“They said that I was born for musical theater and that I do have a future in dance,” McDonald said. “And so I was really happy about that.”
The eighth grader said he hopes to continue with theater, dancing and singing as he moves into high school. He’s even looking into colleges with strong performing arts programs.
For now, McDonald already has other projects on the horizon. He hopes to perform in several upcoming productions, like “Beetlejuice, Jr.” at Caryl Crane Youth Theatre and “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” at the Mansfield Playhouse.
