‘High School Musical’ at middle school

The Glen Ridge Middle School will present the junior edition of the franchise hit, “High School Musical,” on Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m, at the Ridgewood Avenue School auditorium.

The show will be directed by Heather Ballantyne. She has 50 students into two separate casts with the one lead male role being double-cast.

“I was about to direct this show in 2020, but we got shut down,” she said. “I have a really talented group of about 50 actors now, so we’re up to where we were. It’s sort of a redemption show.”

If a student plays a lead in one show, in the other show they are in the ensemble.

“They learn a supporting role that way,” she said. “They all want a big part, but having a big part can be stressful. But in the ensemble, it’s less stressful and you’re with your friends. Having a leading role and being in the ensemble is a good experience.”

“High School Musical” was never a Broadway show, originating as a 2006 Disney Channel movie. It remains popular for schools and community theaters.

In the story, Troy and Gabriella meet during winter break and perform karaoke together. Vacation over, they go back to their respective high schools. But Troy, the basketball team captain, then discovers that Gabriella, a scholastic star, has transferred to his school. When he escorts Gabriella, showing her the school, jealousies appear and intensify when they audition for a school musical and get a callback.

Troy’s teammates are shocked to learn he wants to be a musical performer while another classmate, Sharpay, covets the singing role with only Gabriella standing in her way. Plots are hatched to scuttle the couple and their dreams of performing together including rescheduling the audition to coincide with the championship basketball game and a critical scholastic competition. But it ends well.

In the middle school production, Drew Ingle is double-cast as Troy. Gabriella will be played by Alice Rayner and Sadie Wasser. During a recent rehearsal, the young actors spoke. Asked why the role of Troy was being double-cast, a chorus of girls said because there were not enough boys!

“There’s no pressure being double-cast,” Drew said. “It’s smooth sailing.”

Troy, he said, was the big man on campus, but if he could offer him advice, he would tell him to be himself and not change what he wants to do only to please his
teammates.

“He’s supposed to be a high and mighty guy, but he wants to do theater and sing,” Drew said.

Drew’s favorite song in the show which he performs is “The Start of Something New.”

“It’s when he first meets Gabriella,” he said.

Sadie said Gabriella is at first a shy girl, but by the end of the story, her confidence has grown.

“I’d tell her to be her own person and not let anyone affect you,” Sadie said.

Her favorite song to sing is “Breaking Free.”

“I think I sing it the best and the whole cast is in it,” she said. “My character gets to come out of her shell.”

Alice said she would tell Gabriella not to be nervous.

“I like the evolution of my character,” she said. “My favorite song is also “The Start of Something New” because that’s when Gabriella and Troy start to get comfortable with each other.”

Commenting on the general paucity of boys auditioning, Director Ballantyne said over the years, she has had boys who played soccer and lacrosse and after practicing a sport would come and rehearse.

“I was so proud of them,” she said. “They made rehearsing cool and didn’t care what non-theater kids thought.”

She continued.

“Theater builds confidence, empathy, risk-taking, social connections and team-building,” she said. “These are life skills, but now more importantly, a time to play and to use their imaginations.”

Running time for the show is 75 minutes, without intermission. A fee will be charged.

  Bloomfield Middle School, Bloomfiled, High School Musical