“Nī gō sāi gāai jáuh háih gām yéung gā lā.”

The students who surround him gaze with bafflement and fascination.

They’re not listening to a Chinese exchange student. They’re not watching a foreign language student practicing for a test.

They’re watching senior Sal Virelli rehearse his role as Bun-Foo for the spring musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

From dying his bleached blonde hair to jet black, to learning Mandarin Chinese lines and songs, Virelli pushed the extra mile to pour his heart into the theatre.

His life revolves around performing.

With six years of theatre, nine productions and show choir under his belt, Virelli isn’t the only one under the spotlight. His pure dedication shares the stage with him.

“At one point, I had school, work and rehearsal every day. I’d literally be running out of rehearsals to go change in my car to rush to work; it was stressful.”

It’s this organized chaos that pushes him forward.

His life revolves around performing.

He is a machine. Oiled by passion and motivation. Constantly engrossed and productive. Gaining tune-ups and satisfaction from the applause of the audience.

He is a machine operating for his dreams.

“Being on the stage is the most important thing to me. At the end of the show, getting to bow and knowing that you performed the best you could is so rewarding; when the audience claps for me it’s the best feeling.”

With a promising future and his dreams ahead of him, Virelli won’t be stopped.

His life revolves around performing.