A murmur of voices float around the theater. The cast huddles in a circle backstage, holding hands and stating their intentions for the show. Emily Hilbrecht prepares to step out into the glistening lights. Hilbrecht has performed in many shows at NKU, and is currently performing at Kings Island’s “Winterfest.”

Hilbrecht is a 22-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky. She is a senior musical theatre major with a minor in honors at Northern Kentucky University.

Hilbrecht looked up to her older sister, who was a dancer. So, when she was three years old, she started dancing too. Hilbrecht was in her first musical, “Annie,” at five years old.  She has done theater every single season since that first musical and started professional theater at age eight with StageOne Family Theatre. “I just couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else,” said Hilbrecht.

Hilbrecht’s first year at NKU was drastically affected by COVID-19. There were no shows for her first year. The students spent the year practicing their dance, voice and acting. Hilbrecht described her first year as an extra year of training. “I feel like that really prepared us and ignited the drive to want to perform again,” she said.

Hilbrecht has been in four shows during her time at NKU: “Torch Song,” “Dance ‘22,” “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Princess Plays.” This year, her senior year, she was not cast, but she is doing work outside of the university, such as “WinterFest” at Kings Island and “Hello, Dolly!” at The Carnegie.

One of the most pivotal moments in Hilbrecht’s journey at NKU was when she was cast as Laurel in “Torch Song” her sophomore year. She was the only underclassman in the cast. She relies heavily on her dance, and in the past, she had always been cast as ensemble or featured dancer. Being in a straight play made her feel very versatile, Hilbrecht said.

Hilbrecht dances with abandon and joy, said Christopher Ryan, theatre and dance retention specialist. “Emily is an excellent emotive dancer. While her technique is also strong, the thing that stands out to me most about Emily’s work as a dancer and storyteller is her emotional engagement in the storytelling and the joy with which she approaches and executes her craft,” said Ryan.

Hilbrecht’s style as an artist has a generosity of spirit, said Xan Jeffery, musical theatre voice professor. “By that I mean she feels what she does from head to toe and wants to share her love of her craft with her audience. She does nothing halfway and is always ready to take in suggestions or corrections for improving,” said Jeffery.

Hilbrecht is terrified to graduate in just six months as she feels so secure in the walls of NKU, she explained. But the fall after graduation, she is moving to New York. “While I’m young and have so many opportunities right now, why not move,” Hilbrecht said to herself. “I’m never going to move later if I don’t move now.” Hilbrecht is giving herself a four-year timeline in New York. If she doesn’t get any work in the four years, she will move on to a new city and try something else, she said.

Hilbrecht advised other students looking to major in theatre, “Take advantage of the opportunities that are given to you. The more work you put in, the more reward you’re going to get,” she said.

Hilbrecht has many upcoming projects before graduation. She is in “WinterFest” at Kings Island, which opened on Nov. 24, “Hello, Dolly!” at The Carnegie opening in February and “The Producers” at Cincinnati Landmark Productions opening in March.

Hilbrecht’s dream is just to do what she loves. “I don’t need to be in the spotlight. I don’t need to have four solos in a song. A dream role of mine is to be in a show,” she said.