Going to ‘School’

This year’s high school musical is …

… “High School Musical.”

Jay County High School is bringing the show based on the 2006 Disney movie to the state this weekend with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday as well as 2 p.m. Sunday.

This will mark the second time directing “High School Musical” for Susan Denney, who also led the production about a dozen years ago while teaching at Seymour High School. It’s a good fit, she said, because it involves a large chorus in support of the lead roles. 

“I just thought this is the year for this,” she said. “It has huge, huge chorus numbers — this is one of those musicals where the chorus is really, really busy, which is what I try to find … I want the kids to be actively participating as much as they can in the show.”

The show — tickets, which are $7, will be sold at the door and are available in advance from cast members and at the high school office — follows the students of East High as they return from their winter break. In their cliques of Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes, they recount their time off and look forward to their time ahead. Upheaval comes when Troy Bolton (played by Ben Heath), the captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella Montez (Laila Waddell), the brainy new girl he met on a ski trip, step out of their cliques to audition for the high school musical.

Those auditions threaten to upset the “Status Quo,” one of the songs in the show, leading Sharpay Evans (Inara Sanderson) to try to sabotage their chances. Troy and Gabriella fight through the adversity, breaking out of cliques and inspiring others in the process.

Along with “Status Quo,” the other big number in the show is the closer — “We’re All in this Together.”

“It is very pop,” said Denney. “It’s very wired toward appealing to the younger generation. … 

“I though this might be one that’s well-known enough in the community that it would draw the younger generation to want to come support the program.

It’s also relatable for the cast.

“Most of these kids all know these musicals,” Denney added. “They know all three movies. They know the musical. They know the music. …

“And it’s honestly kind of show-choiry, which is what our wheelhouse is here. It’s pop music with lots of choreography that’s current, so it’s something that’s very familiar to what we do throughout the year.”

Denney is also a fan of the song “Auditions,” which features the Thespians.

“The kids get to be out of their box, eccentric, creative, quirky, silly,” she said. “And they have the direction to just do whatever they want and be free to experiment with it. And the kids that are doing that scene are absolutely having a blast.”

Madison Hambrock as Ms. Darbus and Ethan Gillum as Coach Bolton have an animated discussion while working on a scene from Jay County High School’s production of Disney’s “High School Musical” on Saturday. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)

 

In addition to Heath, Waddell and Sanderson, the cast features Ashton Castillo as Chad Danforth, Troy’s best friend; Austin Curtis as Zeke Baylor, a jock with a secret passion for baking; Gavin Hambrock as Ryan Evans, Sharpay’s brother and vice president of the drama club; Hannah Laux as Taylor McKessie, president of the science club; Wyatt Mock as Ripper, a skater with a secret passion for the cello; Madison Hambrock as drama teacher Ms. Darbus; and Ethan Gillum as Coach Bolton, who is also Troy’s father.

Denney said she’s been impressed with her stage veterans — those who have extensive experience and/or have played lead roles previously — and has also been excited to see some newcomers taking advantage of their opportunities.

“That’s a really, really big role,” she said of Hambrock, a freshman, taking on Ryan Evans. “That’s a big deal for a freshman to be thrown into that. 

“For Ben, he’s my show choir rock … He has never, ever, ever done this before. For him to be the actual lead, that’s a big undertaking.

“Laila, she’s the lead girl and she’s not done this kind of thing before. …

“Madison Hambrock is doing Darbus incredible.

“I like the kids who haven’t ever had an opportunity before to actually, like, take a risk and try it and just thrive. It’s really cool to watch.”