NICEVILLE — Michael Dye is first and foremost a musical educator, but these days he’s preparing for a new role. Literally.
Just before Christmas the longtime choir director at Niceville High School was cast as the lead character in the Mattie Kelly Arts Center’s upcoming production of “Les Miserables.”
“It’s going to be good for my students to see … but it may be a little bit more than I planned it to be,” Dye said with a laugh. “It’s difficult because it’s very good. It’s not difficult because it’s poorly written.”
His character, Jean Valjean, appears in nearly every scene and in numerous musical numbers in the beloved Broadway play. It doesn’t mean the demands of his day job will disappear, but it will be a balancing act, he said.
After working with six choirs during the day at Niceville High, Day comes home and pulls out the music for the production.
He does most of his singing rehearsals on the weekends, but each evening he listens or looks at the musical scores to prepare for rehearsals slated to begin in April.
So far, he thinks the biggest challenge isn’t going to be balancing the play with the demands of choral competitions, a trip to Europe with the chorus and a spring choral performance. It will be memorizing the lyrics for his role.
“I’m awful with lyrics, I always have been,” he said. “It just takes time to get them in my brain.”
Dye hasn’t been involved in musical theater since college. He said he auditioned for “Les Miserables” because he and his stepson agreed years ago to try out if the musical ever came to Northwest Florida State College.
When Dye learned the local theater had purchased rights to the production, he still wasn’t certain he’d audition until his stepson called from a seminary in Massachusetts and asked him if he was still up for it.
To Dye’s surprise, he was and he is. They both got roles.
“This is the only one I think I would have done,” Dye said. “I have this one shot in me.”
He said the timing couldn’t have been better, and he’s looking forward to dedicating his summer to the July production with his stepson and a few students.
“Teachers are known for teaching, not doing,” he said. “(But) we who teach can also do.”
WANT TO ATTEND?
Tickets for “Les Miserables” are on sale for $25 for adults and $20 for those younger than 18 at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org, 729-6000 or at the box office. Performances will be July 17-20 and July 25-27 at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.