You’d better call quickly for any last-minute tickets. Montville High School’s spring drama production of Disney’s High School Musical is already a big hit. Ticket orders were so brisk in response to a mere hand-painted sign in front of the high school and word-of-mouth that organizers decided they’d better put on five shows.
The play runs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, Feb. 27 through March 1, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.
The onstage production of the highly popular made-for-television movie requires a huge cast, with lots of singing, dancing, acting, and yes, basketball on stage. Fans will recognize some familiar faces on stage, both Montville High School students and alumni.
The high school’s annual spring musical production has also drawn many students onto the stage for the first time—even the one
playing Troy, easily the hottest male high school student character on stage or screen these days.
“I’ve never been in a show before,” said junior Nick Deshefy, who plays Troy, the basketball star who decides he wants to try his hand at acting after discovering that Gabriella, the new girl at school, also wants to go out for the school play.
Deshefy hadn’t even been to a Montville High Drama Club production, according to Pamela Howitt, MHS Drama director. But, just as Troy, the character, discovers on stage, Deshefy has found his voice, stage presence, and confidence.
“As soon as I tried it, I loved it,” Deshefy said. His family and friends encouraged him to go out for the part.
Montville High’s Troy and the team have to do something the Disney movie cast didn’t have to—pull off the basketball choreography, including shots at the basket while singing, dancing, and remembering their lines, all live onstage. Unlike the film, there isn’t any editing to help the basketballs clear the net.
“I’ve gotten hit in the face with a basketball, right in the nose,” Deshefy admitted.
Kaitlyn Vincente plays Gabriella, the shy science and math whiz who transfers into the school and aspires to sing. The sophomore played the rose in last fall’s The Little Prince.
“It’s great, I was ecstatic when I found out about it,” Vincente said. “I’m kind of shy myself, so a lot of friends have said, ‘Oh, I can totally see you playing Gabriella.’”
Jake Alexander, a sophomore, plays twin brother Ryan opposite senior Marie Thomas, who doesn’t need blond hair to convince anyone that she is Sharpay, the character who is used to getting her way around school. Alexander was the aviator in last fall’s play. Jaclyn Brush plays Taylor and Adam Haumer is Chad. Both are sophomores.
“This year in the cast alone we have almost 50 kids,” said Jackie McOmber, president of the MHS Drama Club. She plays Kelsie, the accompanist. “It’s really cool because we have a lot of kids who have never been in a show before. This type of show attracted so many different students.”
For McOmber and other seniors, this will be their last production as students. McOmber might continue her involvement with drama at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology, which she said has a really strong deaf theater program. She plans to study sign language interpretation there.
In many ways, the Disney stage production is true to the onscreen version. But it also has some different songs and dialogue, which are even stronger than the movie in portraying the teenage angst of young love, competition, and rivalry—not to mention dealing with peer pressure and adult expectations.
There’s also a new character, Jackie Scott, the student announcer, who provides daily updates on the high school’s public address system. The role is played by Julia Berry, a sophomore, whose hilariously melodramatic interpretations and intonations add personality to the school’s daily announcements and help to advance the plot.
The production is a full work-out for the students, involving acting, singing, cheerleading stunts, dancing—and basketball. For tryouts, Howitt said, she put the guys through a series of basketball passes, shots, and dribbling.
“The boys were surprised with that,” she laughed. Some of the kids in the play called themselves “theater geeks,” not jocks.
There are 42 students onstage and eight more working the lights and in the stage crew, according to Howitt. She is pleased that the show has attracted many students to participate for the first time.
“Nineteen of the students have never been in a production before,” she said. “It’s nice that we have a good mix of ethnic diversity onstage, too.”
The cast started working in December. They practiced the dancing one month and the acting and singing in another. Final weeks have focused on putting all the pieces together. The actors are also stage hands, moving around many of the props as the stage must quickly transition from a high school cafeteria to classrooms to a basketball court.
Several Montville High alumni are involved, too. Ben Perry (’06) plays the Wildcat Mascot. Jennifer Kollwitz (’02) is Ms. Darbus, the theater instructor, and Coach Bolton is played by Dan Dykes (’02). Kollwitz teaches Spanish at Tyl Middle School and Dykes is an English as a Second Language tutor at the high school.
Melissa Kollwitz, who was lead in many productions before she graduated in 2004, came back to share choreography duties with choreographer Marcia Miller. Howitt said the production has so many dances of so many different styles that it has worked out well to have two choreographers.
Musicians in the pit include percussionist Al Lyman (’79), father of cast member A.J. Lyman, Chad Bigelow (’07) on bass, and Mike Lajoie (’06), and Kevin Hodge (’06) on guitars.
Paul Botchis, also a Montville grad, and production stage manager for the off-Broadway show Stomp, is lighting director. Jim Radgowski, retired Montville High teacher, is director. Howitt also retired two years ago from the high school.
Parents, too, are involved in the behind-the-scenes work. Brenda Alexander is in charge of costuming, Julie Perry led the call board and concessions, and Karen Lyman compiled the program, Howitt said. Other parents will be ushering, running the box office, and decorating the lobby.
For any last-minute tickets for the Wednesday 5 p.m. show and Saturday 2 p.m. matinee, call 460-9192. Friday and Saturday evening shows were sold out weeks ago.