High School Musical - The Music in Me

My pal Angela mentioned this Disney Channel show on her Stay Tuned blog, but I just got the chance to watch the documentary High School Music: The Music in Me, which follows the work of two high school in Texas to work together and stage the community theatre version of the popular TV movie.

It's an excellent show and gives a good look at what it's like to work on a community theatre project - and it's very much a "warts and all" production, showing the fun side and the struggles to bring a production together.

The directors tackled one problem I've never had to face (he said, knocking on wood) - replacing a cast member late in the rehearsal process. When one actor wasn't working out, the directors kicked him off the show and moved another actor into his spot. That sort of thing happens sometimes, and occasionally young actors have to drop out of a show for a variety of reasons - but kicking someone out of the show is (thankfully) rare indeed.

It's interesting that this production brings together two different high schools, since that's the basis of First Stage Theatre in Huntington - bringing together young performers from every school in the Tri-State. It's always great to see kids from Huntington High, Cabell Midland, Spring Valley and all the other schools (not to mention kids of all ages from Elementary, Middle and High Schools) working together and becoming good friends.

The documentary captures the excitement, the struggle and the sheer fun of putting on a show like this. Of course, most shows don't get a visit from two of the stars of the original movie, but hey, it's Disney.

At any rate, I'm sure it'll be aired again (and again and again) on the Disney Channel, so keep an eye out for it.