“The Wedding Singer”: Stanwood High School senior Paige Woods plays the cousin of the bride in her school’s spring musical production, which continues this weekend. Her good friends Claire Kidd, Howard Willard and Taylor Riley also star in the comedy. “It’s the most fun musical I’ve ever done. I love the 1980s, the decade in which the story takes place.”
The cast expects big audiences for the play, which continues Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the school’s performing arts center, she said.
Show business: Paige, a mezzo soprano, has been singing since she was a little girl. She has performed in dozens of musicals and plays at her schools, and with local and regional theater groups such as Village, META, Sky Performing Arts and Seattle Children’s Theatre.
All in the family: “My whole family is very musical. We all sing.” In addition, Paige is learning to play the guitar. “And I’m not as bad as I thought I’d be.”
Other activities: Paige was a cheerleader during the fall football season and is working on becoming fluent in American Sign Language. She’s a member of National Honor Society, president of the school’s Theater Guild, and sings in the school’s chamber choir and jazz choir.
She recently studied English 101 at Skagit Valley College, and she works at the UPS store in town. Her employers, John and Rona Russell, call her a great kid with many talents.
Greater good: For her senior project, Paige planned and hosted a fundraiser in February for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Her mother, Lacey, has lived with muscular dystrophy for decades, so the project was inspired by love, Paige said.
The jazz choir, including her sisters, performed at the event and Paige auctioned off baskets of donations. “The project taught me not to be a procrastinator. It also showed me how great our community really is. People really stepped up and were very generous.” The fundraiser took in more than $5,300.
What she wants to be: While she’s not yet ready to give up on theater, Paige has a passion for cooking and may go to culinary school to become a chef. “I make a good salsa and six varieties of cookies.”
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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