Medora Musical Seeking Triple Threats - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

     Every summer, thousands of people head to Medora for its biggest tourist attraction.  However, before the musical debuts, producers needs to discover the best singers, dancers and overall performers.  So what does it takes to be a Burning Hills singer?

     Only the brave -- and talented -- venture through the doors of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bismarck, where performers are put through their paces vying for a professional acting gig.  Savannah Bashus is hoping her pipes are good enough to be picked for North Dakota's most celebrated show.  First, she has to pass round one of the auditions.

     Says Savannah, "after you set foot on the stage, like right after, you just turn your nerves into adrenaline and it's like an adrenaline rush that you can never get from anything else."

     For this job, triple threats -- performers who can sing, act and dance -- need apply.  The show's Director says, in terms of casting, it's something you know right away.

     "I would say between two and three seconds, you know," says Curt Wollan, Executive Producer/Director of Medora Musical.  "It's the way they present themselves.  It's the way they walk-in with confidence."

     A Jamestown College student is throwing his hat in the ring for a chance to be part of the professional troupe.  "I've been going to the Medora Musical for as long as I can remember every Summer, and as with when I saw Phantom when I was eight, just the amount of fun that the Burning Hills Singers are having up there on that stage is something I really want to experience," says Christopher Koppinger.

     The Western-themed, family friendly performance has deep roots and attracts audiences nationwide to Medora, North Dakota, each Summer.  Kinley Slauter is the Amphitheatre Manager of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.  He says, "the show that we put on is created specifically for the Burning Hills Amphitheatre in Medora, the musical.  The musical has quite an interesting history.  It started in 1965, and has been around now nearly 50 years and is a tradition for many North Dakotans."

     Auditions are held in Bismarck, Fargo and Minneapolis where six men and six women will ultimately be chosen.  To see who made the cut, you'll have to get to Medora this Summer for the show.

     For more information on Medora Musical and this Summer's schedule, go to www.medora.com, where you can also purchase tickets.