Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Monday April 21st, 2025.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here in part two today at 430.
We're going to speak with Cheryl Paulson. Little Charlotte's rescue is what we're going to be
focusing on with her. Right now, not only do we have some of my alma mater kids coming in today,
Lincoln High School. I say a shout out to my former stomping grounds over at Lincoln,
but we're going to be talking acting. So that means that there will be no journalistic integrity
with this interview as I've been acting since I was seven years old. I've got tons of bias with
this interview. We're just going to have some fun today again because we're going to be talking
when Lincoln, some of the kids and cast and crew from Lincoln High School's The Lightning Thief
coming up on May 1st. We're going to tell you how you can get tickets, support these kids,
support local theater and all of that. We'll go down the line here, let you guys introduce
yourselves. We'll get into a little bit of the play, the rehearsal process and some of that.
So we'll go ahead and start right down the line here, put a voice to the name, if you will.
Hi, my name is Jayden Peketua and I play Grover in the Musical.
Hi, my name is Jordan Hariman. I am the sound tech and I'm also the costume designer.
My name is Charlie Shaw and I play Luke in Percy Jackson in the Musical.
My name is Abelina Harches and I play Annabelle.
My name is Jackson Dewitt and I play Percy Jackson.
Nice. Well done, you guys. Well done. All of you spoke very clearly. I can tell that I got
performers in here. I love that. Oh, I love that. That's awesome. So thank you for doing that,
you guys. I want to get into the show itself for a second here and talk a little bit about that.
What is, for those that have never heard of the play, what is the Lightning Thief about?
Is there a man running around in a robber mask trying to steal clouds? Is that because that's
what I'm guessing? I'm guessing that's what happens.
So I wouldn't say that it's exactly about a man running around with stealing clouds. That was
more madhouse, which was I did in the summer. Nice. Nicely done.
The Percy Jackson in the Musical is about a 12 year old boy who has been kicked out of schools.
His whole life has had bad interaction with his guardians, his parents, his stepdad and his
dad has been out of his life for his entire life. And so he goes and he gets this, there's this big
stuff, a bunch of crazy stuff happens to him where he gets attacked by a crazy demon lady.
And then he gets sent to this half blood, a camp, not a half blood. A camp full of a bunch of
half bloods where he finds out that his dad is a god. And so then he finds out also that during
this there is the gods have been fighting over a stolen lightning bolt given the name of the show.
And so during this, he finds out this whole thing, he gets told that he has to go on a quest.
So the whole show is basically about him going and finding this lightning bolt and returning it
and like making name to himself because Zeus, the biggest of the three gods, which is Zeus,
Poseidon and Hades, he is told that Zeus is like super mad at him because he's the son of a really
big character, one of the three gods Poseidon. And so he's got to make name for his father,
because Zeus thinks that he sent to half blood, which is half god, half mortal,
one of the kids of the gods. And he has to make a name for himself. So that is basically the whole
show. Nicely done. Nicely done. Well done. And not always easy to do when you're trying to do this
while okay, I don't want to spoil anything, don't spoil anything, don't spoil it. It's tough to do,
but Nicely done. Well done Charlie. Appreciate that. And with that, now this story is,
will you guys familiar with this story going into it? Yeah. I don't know if all of us did, but I
for sure read the Percy Jackson like books growing up, so this was kind of a cool. I read the books
like 20 times. Right on, right on. Okay. Okay, so you're going to get there. It's kind of fun when
you get a chance to, I mean, acting in any realm of it, I should say not just acting, but being a
part of theater in any way is always fun, no matter what you're doing involved with it. But to do
something that you have a little bit of an interest in or a tie to or you just understand a little
bit more can enhance the performance a little bit. Not just for you, but for the cast, the crew,
the audience, everybody involved. So that's kind of cool. It's interesting. And this is certainly one
of those ones. It's a popular series that we've seen in the movies, TV shows, all of the above.
It's going to doubt that people are not only going to, you're going to get people interested in
that part of it, but certainly the kind of people that have made it popular as well. A lot of
younger people are probably going to be interested in this one as well. Thank you for that again,
Charlie. Appreciate it. So now I want to get into taking a step away from the show itself for a
second. And I want to talk with you guys a little bit about why you decided to do this.
Now, I again, journalist integrity out the window. I wanted to ask since I was seven years old,
and I've been a screen actor's guild member since 2008. And I've been fortunate to be,
have over a hundred characters. I bring all this up because I am not necessarily a social butterfly.
I'm not somebody that when I was your age, I was even worse. This is the good version of me.
I'm not even that great with it to begin with. But I think that a lot of people think that when
it comes to performing or anything like that, that that is, you know, that's your typical person
or something. But there's so many different after school programs and different things available
for kids. But I don't think that there is enough said about the arts and that there is certainly
enough funding put into the arts. So what I asked this question of why you guys chose to do this,
I want to know you and I want to get to know each one of you and why you did this. I also want
you to note that we're trying to deal with this interview is not only get people to attend this show,
but the next show and the show after that. And we want them to audition for the next show and the
show after that or work behind the scenes or along those lines. So what we're doing here is not
just that, but it's bigger than that and it's bigger than any of us because that's what entertainment
is. So let's start off going down the line here. Why did you decide to do this incredibly brave,
crazy thing? And I don't mean talking to me on the air, the actual thing, the whole play thing.
Yeah, so I've been in choir my whole life because my sister took choir and I wanted to
fall in her footsteps because I like being better than her. And so after I was in choir for
enough years, I kind of used that as an emotional outlet for me. But eventually I guess my
emotions started getting too big for that. And so I was recommended by a close friend of mine to do
the theater program because he said that that really helped him explore his feelings. So I did,
and I joined it last year for the My Fair Lady show. I was offered to do a little in that. And
right on little flex. Not wrong with that. Not wrong with that. You earned it. But I appreciate
you sharing the previous experience of being on a stage with singing and some of that and everything.
Did you find that that helped you when you were first trying to get on that stage as an actor?
Oh, yeah, most definitely because I have a lot of stage fright. So you know, just being able to
go back to the choirhead space and you know, kind of tune out the audience a little bit. Do what I
need to do. I really hope to that. I appreciate that. Jordan, I love every opportunity and we don't
get enough opportunities to talk to people behind the scenes and backstage. Some of my favorite people
that I've ever worked with are just love being behind being a part of theater, but don't have any
interest in being on that stage. Like that's overrated. The real fun is back here behind the scenes.
I've been saying what was it about that or any of this that made you want to do this? So I
actually acted first and I hated it. So but prior to me acting, I had been I've been mixing music
since I was 12 and it's always been something that I enjoyed doing and this year I took theater
capstone, a little plug. And I got to do costumes for our fall show, 12-ingredures and also I'm
the youth apprentice this year. So that was like my youth apprentice job. But getting to
do something else creatively behind the scenes, not just something that I'm used to because I've
also been involved in music since I was very young and getting out of my realm of what I'm used to
not just not just like technically but also behind the scenes has been like really it's been nice
for me and I'm very proud of myself in the sense that I have done so much with it and I think there's
also kind of a not a stigma so much or not not a stigma so much but something saying that like if
you do theater you have to act and that's something that like you don't because I know so many people
who they love it and they love theater and they love musicals and they have all this stuff that they
cannot get on stage and act and I'm one of those people and I just I don't know I hope any of
them needs that. No it did it did I appreciate that I appreciate not only that but you're sharing
a little bit more with that too because this is what we're talking about with this conversation is
for you know supporting the arts and promoting them. I mentioned this whenever I get a chance
Wisconsin finished dead last and supporting the arts in the union. We are working to change
that around here. We're working to bring awareness to that around here. You guys are doing that
with this conversation and with this play and the idea of encouraging people that have maybe
wanted to do this but think oh I don't want to act so I don't I can't be involved in plays or
anything like that. You can go to here in rapids the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater or really
anywhere you're listening to us you probably got a community theater. It's filled with people that
for years and decades have been working and going there and maybe they're doing costumes or props
or something along those lines and have had just as much fun as the people on stage. That's a great
note I appreciate that. Charlie not that I put you in the spot enough already but if you get a
little bit of why you decided to do this. Well I'm happy to talk so. So I kind of got thrown
into theater. My friend about two or three years ago he has a like picture studio that is
funded by his aunt and he was really big into like making scripts and directing shows and so he
wanted me to be a lead in one of his movies. So the way I got into acting originally was I played
a character named Ben in the four elements. I think it was the name of it. I don't know. They've
been editing it for like three years and I don't think it's ever going to show up again.
The story of my life. Yeah that's acting. Yeah so I mean hopefully it'll eventually end up
somewhere but so after that I kind of fell in love with theater like I loved being able to make
a new version of myself on screen and also I wanted to try doing on stage and that's when I found
stage theater at Lincoln. I joined myself more year and immediately fell in love. I love being able
to go on stage and being able to talk and being able to deliver these lines that means so much more
than I could ever think to people. I love I've played a variety of characters. Luckily I don't think
I've been typecast yet but but I I've played villains. I played comedic characters. I played
burglars. I've played cool camp counselors as I do in this show and yeah I don't know I just it's
been an immediate love the second that I found out about it. It's a really a strong experience
especially it's such a young age it's really cool to hear you give a lot you can build on with that
and I appreciate the note what you whether it was intended or not or what you were getting
out there. I've talked about this quite a bit when it comes to acting. I have I've done every kind
of medium and I'll say that as much as I think the TV movies film work it has its own special element
to it. To me in order to consider yourself an actor you got to be able to do it on stage. Yes.
You get one take that's it and if you can nail it on that one take great but most anybody can do
film and TV acting. It takes somebody that really has a hunger and a passion for this to be doing
live theater. I don't think unless you've done it you can truly understand what it is like to do
it on any level from a a small level to a large level or anything I think it's a great note
Charlie. Thank you for that. Edelina can I say the right yeah okay I first up I got to commend you
in your voice you have an amazing voice a wonderful voice you have a director's dream of a voice.
You know I've been told that as you get Edelina has broken two mic elements. That's a good
that's a man you're gonna be able to that's not a bad thing yeah yeah you're gonna be able to put
that on your resume like that that's really good so what got you to want to do this? Well it was
kind of I've always liked singing and I don't know my mom's a teacher so I've been a I've just
been able to do like public speaking a lot and in like sixth grade my elementary music teacher
told me the night of auditions I should go try this play and I did and it was just it was awesome
it was like the people in theater are like the most accepting people I have ever met in my entire
life like I can be myself there and no one's gonna judge me and I feel like that's one of my mean
that's awesome thank you for hitting on that another element of this that I I love about
theater and I love about acting and in all of these the in the entertainment world the creative
world and and talking about it but I get so locked in on the the work that I forget sometimes
the greatest part of entertainment and that's the people and and and the fellowship that happens
with it and for me when I moved out here like I I was a transplant and I came I could not have
had more culture shock coming from where I did to hear and I was not good at making friends
very very bad making friends um I got fortunate right away that I was a little fast and so I got
you know picked for you know inner mirrors or whatever but I never really jelled with a lot of that
but when I I got cast in a sixth grade play oh it was different I already knew I wanted to act
but I didn't think about theater I didn't really think about those things and I certainly never
thought about oh you mean I can make friends like doing acting yeah so I do get to do something I
love and I'm going to meet people that also love to do it and I made actually make a friend for
once in my life oh my god like it's just something that's so cool about this and and the idea of
it and whether you've got a billion friends or you have none you can enjoy theater but I think it's
a really cool note to mention because there's something about doing this that only other people
that have done it can really quite relate to and there's a friendship in that and that's true in
all kinds of things in life uh mechanics love talk to fellow mechanics or or anything else it's
just uh something that's fun to find at a young age that's very cool thank you for noting that
and of course we're gonna wrap up a Percy Jackson of course we're gonna so uh Jackson if you
wouldn't mind what got you'd want to do this I've been you know on the stage since I was three
years old with like RFD TV doing dancing down in Branson but and then I started acting because
I saw my sister doing it um and so then I was like you know I might as well try it so I've been
doing that through children's theater community theater and you know it's been enjoyable experience
tonight you know I feel like I'm okay at it so you know okay yeah so you know yeah I do I'll
do a lot of stuff on stage a group on the stage so it's you know it's you know where it's come
where I'm comfortable and so yeah that you know it's a good experience it's an interesting end of it
you know that I don't often run into or think of where so many of us choose the stage or want to
be on it some are born on it some some kind of grow up literally on it and everything that's really
unique that's cool uh but also uh it's it's it's it's also kind of think noteworthy your answer
so similar to everybody else's and and in such the all of your answers are very similar there's
a common theme without all of them of the enjoyment and the love of doing something and um and the
the the braveness of it and I don't use that word lightly I think we overuse it sometimes in life
but it is brave to do it every single one of you guys are doing no matter your experience no matter
your reasoning behind it I uh I admire it and I'm very very very proud of each and every one of you
and your whole cast and crew that is doing this the lightning thief is going to be premiering Thursday
May 1st 7 o'clock and then the Friday uh May 2nd 11 o'clock show as well Saturday another 7 o'clock
and then Sunday we'll wrap up with a 2 o'clock matinee on May 4th you can get tickets for this
performance by going to uh uh uh actually just throw the new your search bar the lightning thief
that's what I did uh Lincoln High School it popped up that way you can get tickets right there
the day of at the box office uh you can get them as well that way and uh I want to probably get
there about an hour before the show I would say we'll get in these details one more time before we
wrap up um now what is uh the toughest question that I'm probably going to ask every one of you and
I am not doing my job unless I ask tough questions favorite part favorite part of the experience
now it doesn't have to be necessarily something your character did or even to do with the play maybe
it was just something like we were talking about before with the uh the actors you worked with
and everything but what was one of your favorite parts or your favorite part start down the line here
uh more than likely my favorite part of theater is getting to harass all of my friends uh oh yeah
harassing is an understatement Jaden yeah so um I just enjoy having fun with all my friends and uh
most of the time when I'm on stage I'm never serious so that's what I'm about yeah
um I guess my favorite part of theater would probably have to be getting to like
again show like my creativity and have that outlet um especially when it comes to the costumes
because I love getting to put people and when I have people like when I pull people for trying
release like not stupid I'm not going to say stupid stuff but like sometimes you look stupid
at first when you put a costume on because that's just part of it um but there was a lot of fur
with this show which was fun um and I'm the stater in the room right the stater is in the room um but
getting to kind of like get getting to I guess joke with the creativity and still have fun with it
because though we're stressed out sometimes we get to that little like I look stupid right now
and this is funny right is like kind of that like buffer I guess yeah it's a nice icebreaker
sometimes a light and light and things up a little bit with some of that tension yeah yeah
I have no idea um I told you a tough question yeah I would say probably I just I love I love
the ability to just like become different people that you never thought you could be and like
I love the swords of the show I've been making the swords for this one with my uncle uh he runs
the swords stuff and is so fun um I have to say probably the inside jokes like there's there's
some stuff that happens during like rehearsals that only optimal yet and it's like the funniest
thing ever no that's good that's good and Jackson my favorite part is probably getting to tell
story on a stage like kind of watching a movie but except it's live and get to you know
show get to have people enjoy it and you know tell you afterwards how awesome it is and also
singing bass and having to learn tenor that's also great that's relatable right there yeah yeah um
you guys uh you're gonna be able to give these uh this community a great show and you're gonna
entertain uh not only family friends but strangers and people uh that uh are are coming
there to maybe get away from life for a little bit and take a break entertainment is uh and in
place especially theater I think is maybe the greatest ability of that um you're gonna be able to
do that to people you're gonna be able to do that you're gonna have a great run um please say to
the rest of the cast and crew uh wish them well from and break a leg have a great run uh to
everybody involved with this one have fun we're gonna be promoting it on our morning show we're
gonna make sure that you guys get a great crowd uh and uh let people know that uh this show is going
on so again thank you for the time thank you for now taking on that stage we appreciate that and
I'll be talking to you guys and seeing you guys are real again soon don't be strangers you guys
are all welcome back here okay great work by all of you by the way thanks for having us oh yeah
you so much you guys made this easy nice work all of you you guys all did a great job again the
lightning thief the Percy Jackson musical is going to be premiering this Thursday may first or
next Thursday may first seven o'clock Friday two o'clock seven o'clock uh may second seven o'clock
show Saturday may third seven o'clock show and then sunny will wrap things up with the two o'clock
matinee all of this taking place over at the pack link a nice school theater be sure to head on
over there to get your tickets and throw it in your search bar to find out more or you can go to
wpr up w rps dot org to find out more information by local support local that includes the arts
everybody support these kids and have a great time at this show we will take eight quick time out
we'll be back warm midday magazine right here in 97 5 FM 13 20 AM wf HR we are locally grown radio
