SLATER SPOTLIGHT: CATHIANNE MCKENNA

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Brooke Reister, Reporter

The passionate Cathianne McKenna will continue her musical theater studies at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York starting this July. McKenna is involved in the Slater Chorale as Uniform Manager, the high school musicals, and marching band playing saxophone her senior year. Her talents at Bangor will be greatly missed and will take her far in her new chapter of life.

Which friend or friends will you miss most from Bangor and why?
I will miss many people. I’ll miss Sarina, Brooklyn, Hannah A., Hannah C., Sophia, Nikita, Josh L, Josh M., and many more.
Which teacher influenced you most or who will you remember most from Bangor and why?
Mr. DiMinico. He shaped me as a performer and pushed me to do my best. He was a friend and a father figure for me through high school.
What is your best high school memory and why?
I don’t have a best memory, but my favorites are all the musical seasons and going to PMEA festivals.
Which band could play the soundtrack to your high school career and why?
Not a band, but Alec Benjamin.
If there were a movie made about your high school days, which actor would play your part?
Emily Osment.
When you arrive at school in the morning, where is the first place you want to go and why?
I always go through the band room and into the choir room. It has always been a safe space for me, and it felt like home.
Where do you predict you’ll end up ten years from now and why?
I hope I’ll be doing something involving musical theater. I don’t care what it is. I just want to be a part of it.
Which event, events will you miss the most and why?
PMEA, chorus concerts, band concerts, marching band, musical. They were the only events where I could express myself and use my talents for good.
What is your favorite quote to live by and why?
Everything happens for a reason. I don’t believe in any kind of higher figure, but I do believe that everything that happens is meant to teach you something.

What is your favorite memory from any musical season and why?
The thrill of performing. The laughs and inside jokes made during rehearsals.
What is your favorite musical and why?
I don’t have a favorite. Rather, I have several. Carrie, Beetlejuice, Hello Dolly!, Newsies, Come From Away.
What musical theater performer inspires you the most and why?
Christopher Sieber. He played Gaston in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and broke his hand during his number. He continued onward, pushed through, and did it all for the audience. He is an inspiration.