Bartlett teen taking lead in state theater festival

While most Elgin Area U-46 students will be spending holiday break shopping, seeing new movies and catching up on sleep, Josh Conrad will be prepping for the biggest role of his life.

Conrad is cast as Leo Frank, the lead in the musical, "Parade," running Jan. 10 and 11 at the Illinois High School Theater Festival at Illinois State University in Normal.

The musical centers around Frank, who works as a superintendent at an Atlanta pencil factory and is accused of the rape and murder of a teenage girl.

Conrad was selected this fall from thousands of other auditioning high school students.

Conrad estimates that he has packed in 120 hours of rehearsal into four weekends for the production. Additional rehearsals will be held over break.

"It's been an amazing experience to be around so many people who are so talented," Conrad said.

The tall, soft-spoken Bartlett High School senior only began singing two years ago, when he auditioned for Bartlett's production of "Les Miserables."

"Josh auditioned as a sophomore and just knocked our socks off," choral director Gay Ruppert said. Josh has been singing since, participating in school musicals as well as a capella, jazz and men's choral groups.

"He's very directable. He knows his lines and songs and he also knows everyone else's," Ruppert said.

"Some students you can tell are destined for great things," she said. "And I think that's Josh."