RICHFIELD — Before diners even settle into their seats, they’ll notice something different: student actors gliding between tables with plates in hand, pausing just long enough to lean in and offer a few bars of a song.

It’s a scene that feels lifted from an old movie — serenading servers, warm lights and the hum of a small-town evening — and it’s exactly the atmosphere the East Juniata High School Theatre program hopes to create during its preview of “The Hello Girls” on Monday at the Old Mill Coffeehouse in Richfield.

For one night only, the Route 35 café will take on the glow of a vintage supper club — the Starstruck Diner — the kind where entertainment happens close enough to touch.

Tickets cost $25 and include seating options at 4 and 6 p.m.

The menu includes a sandwich, side and drink, but the real draw is the experience: actors serving dinner and breaking into music from their upcoming spring production as naturally as refilling a glass. It’s immersive, charming and just quirky enough to feel unforgettable.

The actors have been rehearsing for months for this latest production. Each actor brings a different voice, a different moment of connection, a different spark. The Old Mill’s familiar wooden beams, soft lighting and lived-in warmth make it the perfect backdrop for this early glimpse of the show.

“The Hello Girls” tells the story of the U.S. Army’s first female telephone operators during World War I — young women who stepped into history with headsets, determination and a sense of duty that outlasted the war itself. The musical blends grit and grace, humor and heart, giving students a chance to explore characters who fought to be heard in more ways than one.

For the cast, the coffeehouse preview is more than a rehearsal. It’s a chance to test their voices in front of neighbors, to feel the room respond, to share the story they’re building piece by piece. And for the community, it’s an invitation to slow down, enjoy a meal and witness a little small-town theater magic unfold just a few feet away.

“The Hello Girls” opens with a 7 p.m. performance on Thursday, March 5, in the East Juniata High School auditorium. Additional showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, and 3 p.m. on both Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8.

To purchase tickets, visit https://ejhstag.ludus.com/index.php.