At Manheim Township High School (MTHS), the word is out. Students have discovered that drama, theater and the performing arts are fun, rewarding and social, and they want to be a part of that scene.

The contingent of nearly 140 students involved with MTHS' upcoming spring musical represents one of the largest in recent memories.

"The more the merrier, for sure," said director Samantha Haldeman. "I'd love to put more kids on stage. We really encourage the kids to use this as teachable moments. There are a lot of things to be done. It's fun to do an old traditional show like this."

The Manheim Township Performing Arts (MTPA) department will present its rendition of "Singin' in the Rain" on Thursday, March 27, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 28, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, March 29, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the MTHS auditorium, 115 Blue Streak Blvd., Lancaster. Tickets for the performances are available at https://cur8.com/40306/project/129716; by calling 717-560-3097, ext. 3311; or at the door the days of the shows.

The show takes about two and a half hours to perform and will include an intermission.

"I want to put on shows that haven't been seen on the Manheim Township stage before," said Haldeman. "I felt it was time to do a classic that takes us back to 1927 and the Golden Age of Hollywood talkies. There's an element of making it rain, which is no small feat. Tap (dancing) is a skill we've been working on. It's kind of a specialty area, so (the actors and actresses) have been working really, really hard on their tap dancing. With the costumes, there's a massive amount of quick changes, which is also a huge challenge."

Involved with the spring musical are 46 cast members; 64 stage crew, sound crew and makeup crew members; and 26 pit orchestra musicians. The cast features senior Finneghan Forrester as Kathy Selden, junior Timothy Cruz as Don Lockwood, freshman Abram Wolfe as Cosmo Brown, junior Cecelia Gareis as Lina Lamont, senior Terrell Russell as R. F. Simpson and junior R.J. Scacalossi as Roscoe Dexter.

"They're all very special to me," said Haldeman. "MTPA is a very special community in our school. One of the things that makes theater so important in our school is that there's a place for everyone. It's a really special community where we work together and express our creativity. It's an eclectic group of students. More than anything, they're just really hardworking, special, really talented kids."

"This is really a show worth seeing because everyone is so talented," said Finneghan. "The most important thing is the message, which is you should be happy and smiling even during difficult circumstances. I'm hoping people will leave the show with refreshed attitudes."

Auditions for "Singin' in the Rain" were conducted during the first week of December, and the cast and crew really started their hard work on the production in early January. Since then, the students have been rehearsing four weeknights and Saturdays each week.

"I've been doing this a long time, and it goes beyond the show," said Timothy. "The more you do it, the bigger web you make. It's really an experience of being part of something that's bigger than yourself. It's something everybody should try."

"It's pretty easy to develop camaraderie with the cast because everyone's friendly and you're with them a lot," said Abram. "It gives you time to develop friendships."

For the cast and crew, "Singin' in the Rain" has been both a journey and a destination. It's been a lot of hard work, but the payoff makes everything worth it in the end.

"(The four-month process) is like a snowball rolling down a hill," said Timothy. "(During the public performances) the heart is beating fast, but when the curtain goes up, all you have to do is put a smile on your face and do what you've been practicing. This is my group. It's just an incredible family. It's the culmination of everything. It's just really good."

"My castmates are just kind and hardworking, so it's been easy to find camaraderie," said Finneghan. "I'm trying to be a role model for the underclassmen. It's all about leaving a legacy. (MTPA) is an amazing program."