The musical production of the year, “Sympathy Jones” is set to perform the weekend of Jan. 14 through 16, and has already held auditions, casted roles, and begun rehearsals.

Set in the ’60s, the musical is about a secretary in a spy agency who finds a current case file and decides to take it to follow her desire to become a spy herself.

Late September, auditions took place, then callbacks were needed and roles were then cast a few days later.

“Sometimes, like this time, we had to make some callbacks to try to have them sing a different song because the song didn’t really represent them well,” Drama Director Jeannie Brzovic said.

The “Sympathy Jones” cast of 10 main roles get together weekly to rehearse the 22 songs of the musical with a new tactic by separating the vocals, the blocking, and the music into sections rather than compiling all together.

“Right now we are learning the songs and we are probably going to spend a couple months on that. And then we are going to work on the stage and blocking and moving around. But we are spending most of the time on the music,” senior Myles Stillwaugh, playing Henry Greene, said.

This new approach is hopeful to become a success and help the reviews for this particular musical.

The MTHS drama department’s first musical of the year, is expected to be, “a really good show for all ages,” junior Cassie Stires, starring as Sympathy Jones, said.