Ever since she was in the second grade, Belle Vernon Area senior Tiffany Trilli has been leading the cheers.
First, it was on the sidelines of youth league football games, which her father officiated. Most recently it's been as co-captain of the Leopards varsity squad during Belle Vernon Area High School football and basketball games.
Having grown accustomed to leading the cheers, however, Trilli is seeing how the other half lives. For the past two years, she has been on the receiving end of the cheering and applause as the leading lady in Belle Vernon's musicals, last year as Anytime Annie in "42nd Street" and this year as Lola in Barry Manilow's "Copacabana."
The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 23-25 and 2:30 p.m. March 26.
"Tiffany is a triple-threat performer," said Michael Rozell, producer, music director and vocal coach for the musical. "(She's) a performer who has mastered acting, singing and dancing. Not all performers are strong in all three categories, but Tiffany definitely is. Her dance skills are top notch, her voice is unparalleled and her acting is creative and diverse."
Trilli paid her dues on Belle Vernon's stage as an ensemble dancer and singer during her freshman and sophomore years.
"Over the years, we've seen her talent develop as she has moved up through the ranks to hold lead roles for our past two Broadway productions," Rozell added. "She spends countless hours working on her skills through her voice and dance lessons."
Annie was Trilli's first big role, but she said Lola is a bigger character, with more responsibility, more memorizing and additional stage time.
"For those reasons, I like Lola more," she said. "Lola is from Oklahoma and wants to be a showgirl. She is naive but willing to stand up for herself. The story is actually a figment of the writer's imagination, with much of the show coming from his imagination."
Rozell, who teaches vocal music and theater arts at Belle Vernon Area High School, along with musical director Debi Anderson has been involved with the annual spring show for eight years. "Tiffany's level of talent is one of the highest with which I have had the pleasure of working," he said. "Her leadership, personality, motivation and maturity are befitting of the lead role."
Despite Trilli's talents, "Casting this show was not easy," Rozell said. "We have several talented students who were in competition for lead roles. We choose our shows based on all of the students whom we anticipate will return for the production."
"("Copacabana") has never been performed in Westmoreland County," Rozell said. "It is a relatively new musical that was just recently released to the public to be performed. We felt the need this year to break free from tradition and forge our own path by performing a musical that has not been done yet. Our audiences will be amazed at the high level of talent we have here and the creativity of the production staff."
Trilli sees a definite connection between cheerleading and being on stage and is excited about being in the play's initial county production.
"There must be a dedication to both," she said. "You have to learn to be very focused as a cheerleader and on stage. With the musical, there's a lot of time and effort involved, but it's rewarding, based on the circumstances and how you get to know someone. You make a lot of friendships with people you may not normally become friends with. Something such as this opens you up to a lot of different personalities. It's a great learning experience."
Trilli, who has been taking voice lessons for four years and dance lessons for 10, is finding her experience this year "somewhat sentimental, especially since this is my last year at Belle Vernon. Acting here has been an awesome opportunity. It takes a lot of time, and the principal characters especially become like a family."
Having the lead in the musical for two years also is having its effects.
"It's a lot of responsibility," Trilli said. "We did well last year, and we want to do as well again. You have to measure up to the standards you set. As a result, there's pressure and you have to be willing to accept it."
But Trilli is more than up to the task to handle any pressure. With a 4.3 grade point average, she is ranked 13th in Belle Vernon's senior class. A "math and science kind of a person" whose favorite classes include calculus and physics, Trilli scored 1240 on her SAT. She is a member of the Interact Club, Medical Interest/SADD Club and National Honor Society, and she is president of the Spanish Club.
As involved as Trilli is with her cheering and acting, she is just as focused on a career. She plans on attending the University of Central Florida, where her sister, Stephanie, is a junior. Trilli plans to study civil engineering, with perhaps a minor in theater or music, and she is considering pursuing acting in college.
Her postgraduate plans include working at Disney World. She may have an edge because of an internship program between Central Florida and the famous theme park and tourist destination.
And after that, what about acting?
"Definitely community theater," she said. "I'm 100 percent sure of that."
