AJ Spurling is a Vestavia Hills High School senior who is involved with the school’s theatre and choir programs. Spurling will star as Cinderella in the theatre department’s upcoming production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”
AJ Spurling is a senior in the theater and choir programs at Vestavia Hills High School.
Q: How did you get involved with performing?
A: I've been singing for as long as I can remember, really. My family is really musical, and I got involved in acting when I was young. Nothing professional or anything, I just did children's musicals at my church. We did two a year, and I just loved them. I thought they were so much fun.
So, when I got to middle school, I joined theater at school and I've been doing it since then. I've been super involved and I've just loved it. It's one of my favorite things to do.
Q: Who inspires you as a performer?
A: My favorite actress has always been Julie Andrews. I loved watching "Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" for my whole life,and she even played Cinderella in Rogers and Hammerstein’s, which is the same role I'm playing now.
And I'm also just so inspired by my peers at school. I just love working together and seeing what we can accomplish together to make a really good production.
Q: What is your favorite/most memorable performance?
A: My favorite production I've been in is definitely "Anastasia" when I was a freshman. It was just so much fun and I got to play the young seven year old version of Anastasia because I was the tiniest little freshman, so I got to have a fun part and I also loved being in the ensemble. I love that musical to this day, it's my favorite. The music and the story are so good.
Q: Tell us about an upcoming performance.
A: Coming up in April, the high school is putting on Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella,"and I get the privilege of getting to play Cinderella, which I'm so excited for.
It's actually double cast — there's two people playing Cinderella, the stepmother and both the stepsisters — and everyone is just so talented. Which, every night we alternate performances; whichever night you come to is just gonna be so good, so special.
I love this version of Cinderella. It adds a little bit more to the story, and the music is so fun and the choreography is gonna be so fun. And I just love all the characters in the story.
And, everyone in this cast is just so talented, and everyone's so excited to get to be a part of it. I just know it's gonna be a really special production of “Cinderella.” It's definitely one of my favorites I've been a part of.
Q: What performances do you have upcoming in the next year or so?
A: I'm also involved in a choir at the high school. We have some concerts coming up soon that I'm really excited about.
And, beyond high school, I'm going to college with a really good arts program that I'm really hoping to be a part of. I'm gonna try out for all the choirs and all the musicals. I'm so excited to keep performing for the rest of my life if I can.
