BY EMMA HUERTA
On February 25, the CCHS Thespians posted their first “Cast Member Monday” on the newly established “High School Musical” production Instagram account, announcing sophomore Nicholas Ibanez as Troy Bolton.
After being forced to cancel their production of “Shrek the Musical” due to copyright issues, the Thespians looked to this popular and bubbly show.
“‘Shrek the Musical’ was announced to go back to Broadway, therefore increasing the copyright costs and not allowing us to do it,” sophomore and “High School Musical” ensemble cast member Sabrina Rapoport said. “And while I’m not on the board, I believe they [along with Thespians sponsor Aaron Barton and Principal Doll] decided ‘High School Musical’ was the best option for us because it’s a very good show to have as many cast members as possible. It is also a very fun production and we’re all enjoying it so far.”
Auditions for “High School Musical” were held on February 13. Performers had to prepare two performances from the musical in order to audition; they danced a segment of “Bop to the Top,” which had to be performed with a partner, and sang “Breaking Free.”
Besides the release of who is playing Troy, the rest of the main roles and cast have also been announced. In cast A, Gabriella will be played by Emily Kaufman, Sharpay will be played by Veronica Martinez and Ryan will be played by Dustin Symonette. In cast B, Gabriella will be played by Dianna Gonzalez, Sharpay will be played by Selene Serra and Ryan will be played by Reece Suarez.
“It’s a very good show to have as many cast members as possible.”
Barton and chorus instructor Anna Lotocky will be directing this Thespians production. Although not actually participating in the performances, other CCHS students are also contributing in some way to the show.
“We have a Technical Theater Class in which most of the tech is done, such as costumes, set, makeup, lights, sound, props and more,” sophomore Rachel Goldberg— who is playing the role of Kelsi Nielson— said. “Most of the ‘High School Musical’ requirements are fairly simple, [since] there are no sound effects, but the tech kids will still work extremely hard to make the tech the best it can be.”
Since the announcement of the cast members and their respective roles, the Thespians have already had their first week of rehearsals. So far, they have begun learning major dance numbers, which are being choreographed by sophomore Kayla Kissel, as well as memorizing song lyrics. Some performers, however, went one step ahead in order to fully submerge themselves into their characters.
“I only watched ‘High School Musical’ like two weeks ago for the first time. We got together and watched it at [Suarez’s] house,” Ibanez said. “I definitely think it helped; we basically have an idea of how to act and what to do.”
“So many people are excited we are doing ‘High School Musical’ [since], for most of the kids at CCHS, it’s a huge childhood throwback.”
The Thespians will perform “High School Musical” from April 25 to 27. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on all three days, while on April 27 there will be an additional show at 2 p.m.
“High School Musical” is often immensely enjoyed by teens, largely due to the nostalgia many claim it brings. The original movie of the same name was released on the Disney Channel in 2006, and that same year the musical adaptation first premiered at a summer musical theater camp. From then on, different schools and programs performed it, catapulting it into popularity and causing teenagers to enjoy past memories of watching the original film.
“So many people are excited we are doing ‘High School Musical’ [since], for most of the kids at CCHS, it’s a huge childhood throwback,” Goldberg said. “Tons of people have told our troupe how happy they are that we are doing it. They are more interested in it because it’s something we all loved and watched growing up.”
By putting on a well-known show like “High School Musical,” the Thespians believe that more CCHS students might be interested in watching the show and hope that this incites more interest regarding future plays.
“I absolutely think it can help promote the Thespians,” Ibanez said. “Since they know the show, people will come, see just how much effort and work we put into the Thespians and will want to come to next shows hopefully.”
Photo courtesy of Music Theatre International
