The youths of Sing Hosanna! are actively tuning their voices and fine tuning their fight scenes for the opening of “Robin Hood.”

The show is under the direction of Ralph Christy Jr. and opens June 28 at the Succop Theater.

Waylon O'Donnell of Clay Township will don the tights of Robin Hood. He will be a junior at Moniteau High School in the fall.

Waylon recently appeared as Rooster in Moniteau's spring musical, “Annie.”

“Robin Hood is a likable character from the start,” Waylon said. “His smile is always showing, and he is continually enjoying and entertaining himself throughout the musical even when there is a sense of danger.”

Robin Hood's sarcastic wit, his jokes and calm demeanor are not a stretch for Waylon.

“This is the first time I have gotten to use my own voice and accent in a show. I have grown so used to playing other types of characters, whether it be animals and/or the comedic relief,” he said.

This role is also Waylon's first more serious role and includes a love interest, Maid Marian.

Ruby Shearer, who will be a 10th-grader at Knoch High School this fall, will be playing Maid Marian.

“She is an innocent girl who tries to listen to what she's told to do and keep her promises but is very free spirited. She doesn't want to marry Prince John as she is directed to do and instead she falls for Robin Hood,” Ruby said.

While she likes to please people, Ruby said she herself is definitely not as soft-spoken as Marian.

“This role is very different from most of my previous characters. I am usually playing an outrageous or ridiculous person with either an attitude or a silly personality. However, it is a nice change,” she said.

The role of Salome, the ditsy daughter of the mayor, will be filled by Emma Herrle, who will be in the eighth grade at Butler Junior High School this fall.

Salome skips everywhere she goes and has a bizarre laugh. Emma said it was the laugh that stretched her skills.

“Salome's ditsiness has forced me to talk and laugh in ways that were naturally embarrassing at first. To play my role to the best of my ability, I had to overcome the fear of worrying about what others might think of me,” she said.

“My favorite part of the 'Robin Hood' show is the song “I'm Such a Clever Man” because it is a very comical number,” she added.

Nathanael “Than” Archer of Penn Township will be appearing on stage for the first time. The fourth-grader from Aquinas Academy will play Will Scarlett, a member of Robin Hood's band of merry men.

“Being small and helpful are the ways my character and I are similar,” he said. “This is my first role. I have had to remember what to do and say. It has helped me to be less embarrassed in front of people.”

The ruthless Lady Merle will be portrayed by Abbey Schandelmeier of Concord Township, who will begin 10th grade at Moniteau.

“Lady Merle is ruthless, cold, and completely determined to get exactly what she wants,” Abbey said.

While she and Lady Merle share the same determination, the similarities pretty much end there.

“I've learned to play a far more serious character through Lady Merle, which is a bit of a change of pace for me,” said Abbey of how this role has helped her to grow as an actor.

“The Butler audience can expect a lot of laughs, some great musical numbers, and some really intense action scenes,” she said.

The show also includes actors Reuben Holt IV as Friar Tuck and Jayson Reppart as the sheriff plus a multigenerational cast of supporting actors.

<B>WHO: </B>Sing Hosanna!<B>WHAT: </B>“Robin Hood”<B>WHEN: </B>June 28 to 30, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday<B>WHERE: </B>Succop Theater at Butler County Community College<B>TICKETS:</B> $15 for adults and $10 for age 10 and younger, available at May’s Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St.,<B>INFO:</B> 724-287-8362