The much-loved production of ‘High School Musical’ has recently been performed at Notre Dame school, brilliantly showcasing the highs and lows of American High School life.
The Notre Dame drama department has always been known to put on fantastic productions and has yet again delighted the audience by taking the well-known American musical to the stage. The 50-person cast of High School Musical have had rehearsals for 10 weeks prior to the production, and it is safe to say that all of their hard work has paid off, as shown by their 4 fabulous performances from the 23rd to the 27th of November.
In this production, the divide between cliques and friendships is explored, clearly demonstrating the overall message that we should always be ourselves, regardless of the pressure to stay with your clique. We are taken on a journey with Troy and Gabriella - played by Sade Hunt and Lily Rose Golzari in year 13 - as they face these struggles amidst lively singing and dancing by the ensemble. A variety of cliques were met in this play, ranging from Cheerleaders to Brainiacs to Thespians, all dressed marvellously by Mrs Treherne, who was the wonderful costume designer.
Mr Hodgson, the director of music, has also done a brilliant job in patiently teaching the cast all the songs of the musical. One of the most beautiful harmonies was in the duet ‘When there was Me and You’, sung by Gabriella and Troy. The entire cast have worked incredibly hard in practicing to sing these lively songs whilst delivering the fast-paced dances at the same time, many even supporting fellow cast members backstage by singing from the wings, which truly showed that they were ‘all in this together’.
This play also brought out the resilience and courage of many students who were still able to perform enthusiastically to large audiences whilst feeling ill. A notable mention for one cast member stepping in to help was when Mia Stevens, Year 10, performed the role of Ryan Evans when his original actress was unwell, with only an hour of notice.
The final product of this play was of course important, however we must not forget the friendships made along the way and the memories which have been shared among the cast of this production. Maddy Dennis, who played a cheerleader, said: “It was an amazing experience, all the rehearsals paid off and many new friendships were made.” There is no doubt that the cast of this musical forever remember the fun moments they have shared while rehearsing this musical, especially for the Year 13s as this was sadly their last play at Notre Dame.
This production of High School Musical created not only a fabulous final product but it was also ‘the start of something new’ - many friendships were formed among the cast, who will always be together in remembering the fun times of this brilliant play of which they have shared the fun of performing.
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