“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
Break out of your clique and follow your dreams along with the students in “High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and Schools Theater (ACT).
Directed by Kathy O’Neill, this energetic musical features an all-youth cast of talented middle and high school students from Aviano.
After moving to town, Gabriella (Genesis Diaz) navigates her way through the ingrained social norms at her new school, East High. She shines with her beautiful singing voice and pulls off the new kid vibe with skill.
Gabriella befriends jock Troy (Jules Lasalle-Bryant) whose love of basketball comes across the stage, but so does his other secret interest: singing. Together they audition for the school musical. Our dynamic duo land lead roles, booting longtime thespian siblings Sharpay (Annika Haas) and Ryan (Phillip Rushing). The shakeup sparks a conflict that will pit the long-standing cliques against each other.
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
We are creatively drawn into the unique world of each clique. Thespians are constantly wearing old show shirts, with a clever nod to ACT’s previous performances. The brainiacs give off that nerdy vibe while sporting tucked-in collared shirts. And the jocks, well, they are hard to miss with their bright red cheerleading and basketball uniforms.
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
The sets and staging keep the cliques in unique physical spaces, adding to the dramatic divide between these groups. We are further drawn into the high school landscape with banners and student-made posters advertising upcoming events that play out during the show; it’s a great immersive touch.
As the play progresses, we see just how far Sharpay will go to return to the spotlight. She clearly comes across as an obnoxious theater kid who loudly, and with sparkly flare, enters every scene, evening taking a cake to the face for the cause. Ordering around her brother leads to several fun high-energy dance numbers featuring the two.
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
The entire talented cast keeps this show full of activity from start to finish. This includes the excellent use of well-choreographed basketball moves and complex ball handling. Stand-out ensemble acting also compliments and reacts to the primary on-stage action, enhancing the high school atmosphere.
Even the audience spaces offer a high level of attention to detail with yearbook-style cast photos in the lobby, a photo booth with props from your favorite clique and concessions sold to benefit real-world school organizations.
“High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and School Theater (Shawna Haas)
