Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on the SAC stage! Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of first love, friends, and family while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities.

 

We caught up with some of the cast, and the directors, of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL to chat about how they’ve prepared for the show and what they hope audiences take away from it.

Alyssa Martin – Gabriella Montez

Nico Collado – Troy Bolton

Katie Greene – Sharpay Evans

Nicole LaJune – Taylor McKessie

Jordan Martinez – Ryan Evans

Ethan Garcia – Scott

Shelby Manly – Jacklyn

 

What is your favorite part about working on this show?

Alyssa/Gabriella – I think it’s nice that they developed this teen program for this age group to kind of start developing their skills. It’s been great to see a lot of people who maybe haven’t had a lot of experience in musical theatre grow and love it.

Katie/Sharpay  – This is a movie I grew up on and it’s a role I’ve always wanted to play so it’s really cool to actually get to do it. I loved her, I always loved Sharpay.

 

How have you prepared for your role?

Alyssa/Gabriella – I feel like I didn’t really have to because we are very similar, it’s kind of scary.  Reading the lines I was like, “This is something I would say.” I’ve just kind of been discovering more about myself while working on this show.

Nico/Troy – I’ll sing my songs around the house, mostly in the shower. I really go over my lines, memorize as best as I can and think of how I can make the role true to myself.

 

This musical is an important piece of pop culture. A whole generation grew up with this movie. So how do you go about making it your own while still being true to the original work?

Jordan/Ryan – I try to make my own version of the character. I don’t want to copy the movie because that’s the actor’s style and I want to make it my own style. How I see Ryan Evans.

Nico/Troy – I feel like I can relate to Troy because I’m a basketball player too and I’ve done many shows. So there’s a lot of similarities in our lives and it just really helps me connect.

Shelby/Jacklyn – Well our characters, Scott and Jacklyn, really add a lot to the story.

Ethan/Scott – We add a narration which keeps the story together.

Shelby/Jacklyn – We help the audience and the students in the show keep up with what’s happening. Also, with our script, you get a better understanding of all the characters. There’s more to them than what’s in the movie.

 

What do you think people can learn from this show?

Katie/Sharpay – You can be whatever you want to be. Stereotypes don’t define you.

Nicole/Taylor – Do what you love to do. Don’t let anyone put you down because of your interests.

Shelby/Jacklyn –Don’t let other people determine what you do in life.

 

Now let’s hear from the directors, Adam Chavez & Ben Deghand.  

This musical is an important piece of pop culture. A whole generation grew up with this movie. So how do you go about making it your own while still being true to the original work?

Adam – It has been very important for us to maintain the appeal and ambiance that High School Musical brings to the table. When it first premiered, it quickly became a pop culture success not only because of its catchy score but because the message was so relatable for our generation. This idea and pressure that I had to conform and stick to a “Status Quo” was shattered when I first saw HSM as a teenager, I truly connected with Troy and it helped me embrace and be proud of my diverse hobbies of interest. Therefore, it has been important for us to capture that message with younger audiences but in a more up to date modern approach so that they can fully relate. With technology, social media, modern slang, and dance, we have been able to put our own subtle spin on this classic piece of pop culture. In addition, we have utilized digital designers like many of our past SAC shows to imprint our image and stylistic approach, we assure you that this isn’t going to be the same High School Musical you have seen over and over again.

Ben – High School Musical came out way back in the day when I was in high school. I was already that theatre nerd that knew that I wanted to be on stage for the rest of my life. Back then it was a clear message on being true to yourself while battling what it means to be a “boy” or “girl” during your adolescent years. Adam and I are sticking true to that message while adding some new theatre magic to the story. We took the script and put a whole new modern twist to it that I don’t want to give away too early. We’ve tried to surround our audience with all the new technology that theatre has to offer while not disappointing those who come to see the story we all know and love. After you leave the theatre you’ll know what it truly means when “We’re All In This Together”. 

DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL runs from January 11 – 19, 2019. Tickets are on sale now online and at the box office. See the On Stage page for more information. #SACTeenHSM

Written by Claudio Laso