In BYU Theatre’s Final Year at West Campus, a “Disney’s High School Musical” Graces the Stage at the Former Provo High School
Lovers of early 2000s romcoms, music, dance, film and everything in between have a lot to look forward to in BYU Theatre’s upcoming spring show, “Disney’s High School Musical.” The production features the work of student designers, student technicians and, for the first time, student choreographers. Longtime fans of the musical will not be disappointed as the cast and crew pay homage to the original while incorporating modern digital media elements to reflect the ways that technology has changed our world.
“My hope is that audiences will get a sense of nostalgia for their high school days,” said Sophia Cabrera, who plays Gabriella Montez. “This production will include all the things we love about the arts: singing, dancing, acting and film; you get the best of all four worlds!”
Auditions for this project were open to all students from across the university, which resulted in a diverse cast of students from many different colleges. “It felt essential to highlight the theme of this show and parallel the story by including the backgrounds, interests and talents within the greater BYU community,” said the production’s director, Geoff Reynolds. While the cast of TMA productions usually only feature students, for this production adult roles such will be played by faculty members (Coach Bolton, for example, will be played by TMA artistic director Dennis Wright).
“It has been a pleasure to get to know everyone in the cast,” said Cabrera. “Their insights have been very rewarding for me as an actor because I am able to understand different perspectives and approaches to the script.”
This production has a particular connection to Reynolds, who graduated from Provo High School 25 years ago. “My parents also attended Provo High and graduated in 1963. They met for the first time as seniors in the band room in C wing and it was love at first sight, like Gabriella and Troy in the musical,” said Reynolds. “It's a full circle moment for me to get to tell a story of high school students as a Wildcat while basking in the memories of being a Provo High Bulldog.”
Reynolds hopes that this production will help audience members have “eyes to see” (TMA’s department theme this year) how to break down barriers and foster collaboration to build vibrant communities. “This show reminds us there is always room for others we might first see as stereotypically different from us,” said Reynolds. “As children of God, ‘each of us brings something to the table to help the others grow,’ and ‘when we stand hand in hand [we can] make our dreams come true.’”