This year Prep will be hosting its musical, High School Musical on Stage, in the spring, rather than in the fall. 

High School Musical is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet set in a modern-day high school where the two main characters are part of rival social cliques. The two meet at a New Year’s party and develop a romantic connection through an impromptu karaoke performance, which ultimately leads to them wanting to audition for their school’s spring musical. 

Troy is on the basketball team, but his father, the basketball coach, doesn’t want him to participate in the show. Similarly, Gabriella’s scholastic decathlon team wants Gabriella for themselves. Eventually, with the help of their friends, Troy learns that even basketball players can sing and dance, and Gabriella learns that it’s okay to be a “brainiac” and an actress. Mr. Sweatt also said, “Ultimately, the idea that ‘We’re All in This Together’ is the main lesson that the characters in the show learn, and I think it’s an extremely fitting lesson for the current state to affairs in our country, around the world, and even in our own school community.” 

The two directors for High School Musical will be Mr. Sweatt and Ms. Wilkinson. Mr. Sweatt will be the music director, meaning that he will play the piano, coach singers, and lead the band during performances. When asked about his thoughts of the musical he said, “It takes a lot of people to make a show like this come together, and we’re all excited to get started despite whatever health-related restrictions we might encounter along the way.” Ms. Wilkinson will serve as the stage director which means being responsible for costumes, acting, blocking, and the overall dramatic vision for the show. There is also a team of parents that are helping with building the design of the set. 

Auditions for the musical took place on December 8th and 9th. Students were instructed by Lexie Griffin, a Prep alumni and Texas-based professional choreographer, to prepare a dance routine to “We’re All in this Together” which features some of the iconic original choreography from the movie. They also had to sing an audition song of their choice and read lines from the show in order to be considered for a lead or supporting role. Callbacks for lead and supporting roles occurred on the next day.  

The musical is scheduled for the second weekend of April, and information about tickets will be available closer to the time of the show. Mr. Sweatt and Ms. Wilkinson hope to see lots of people come out to support the cast.