Mical Grace sets stage dream in motion

Recent Custer High School graduate Mical Grace is fresh off his run in the Black Hills Playhouse’s  (BHP) production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” In it he played Prince Eric, with the last performance taking place last Sunday. But for those still eager to catch Grace on stage, he’ll be performing in the ensemble in the Playhouse’s next show “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
Some may remember him from performing for years on the Custer High School stage in school plays and musicals, in which he landed several leading roles. Now, he’s seeing how far that talent will take him—starting with the Black Hills Playhouse.
In the past, Grace participated in BHP’s youth summer camp, but it wasn’t until last year, Grace said, that the Playhouse came into view as something he could be a part of as a cast member.
“Once I realized I wouldn’t be able to do this  (BHP Jr. Camp) next year, I figured I’d come back as a camp counselor. My mother started putting the idea into my head that I could try to get into the Playhouse as a cast member,” said Grace.
He recalled the audition process, saying it was “nerve-wracking.”
“It was the first time I had been auditioning in a professional setting, so I was very blind to some aspects that I should have been considerate of,” said Grace—things like picking an audition song that would correspond to a possible role he’d want or having a certain monologue picked out. Nevertheless, Grace impressed and landed a role. In the audition, he read for the part of Sebastian, but ended up earning a role as Prince Eric.
“I kind of got lucky in that aspect,” said Grace.
At the Playhouse, while  performances for one play are underway, rehearsals and preparations for the next happen simultaneously. Work for “The Little Mermaid” began just a week into “The Play that Goes Wrong,” and rehearsals are wrapping up for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” this week.
He said that the rehearsal process is different with each director and was fun even despite all the hard work that goes into  preparing the show.
“Rehearsals were definitely really fun even if it was taxing or worrisome at times,” said Grace.
Once performances began, it didn’t take Grace long to get comfortable on stage and let nerves settle, but said there were some butterflies at first.
“It was definitely a moment of realization like ‘oh, this is actually happening,” he said.
Beyond that, he said performing for an audience really isn’t too different from rehearsals.  
“It’s just more people watching,” said Grace.
Like most professionals, his favorite part of the work is seeing the fruits of his labor.
“Getting to just enjoy the moment with everyone else— putting stuff together and seeing it finally just mesh is really rewarding,” said Grace.
Although, “The Little Mermaid” has ended, there’s still time to catch him in the next Playhouse production, which opens on Sunday.
“It was definitely fun being Prince Eric, but I also think being in the ensemble and getting to be in more of those dance scenes will be fun. I’m excited to explore that in the next show,” said Grace.
This fall, Grace plans to attend the University of Northern Colorado to further his education in musical theater, where his co-star in “The Little Mermaid” also attends school. From there, who knows where life will take him, but Grace has high hopes.
“I think I’ll apply to BHP next year and hopefully someday be on Broadway,” he said.