By Mikayla Newcombe, 11th-grade student at Aptos High
On behalf of the Aptos High School Theater Arts Department, I am excited to announce our Spring performance of Disney’s “High School Musical.”
This performance will take you back to high school in the early 2000s, where a star basketball player and an intelligent transfer student work together to beat the status quo despite all the expectations set upon them by family and friends. This timeless musical captures the universal themes of self-discovery and friendship, showing us truly that “we’re all in this together.”
Senior Jake Semb, who plays hearbreaker Troy Bolton, explained the show’s appeal. “It’s really fun. It represents teenagehood in a kind of a popular culture way in America, and I think it’s really fun to watch. A good mix of comedy and drama.”
Semb’s co-star is Hayden Torres (12th grade) as new-girl-in-town Gaberiella Montez. Alex Miller (12th) and Marcos Ramirez-Cruz (10th) are cast as the lead’s best friends, Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie. The two thespian troublemakers are Ashley Johnson (10th) as Sharpay Evans and Wyatt Leffler (10th) as her twin Ryan Evans. Also featured are Madelyn Pate (12th) as musical composer Kelsi Nielsen, Danni Kim (10th) as basketball player Zeke Taylor, Coltrane Speir (12th) as school DJ Jack Scott, and Ror Spaugh (12th) as skater-dude Ripper.
The two “adult” characters in the show, Basketball Coach Bolton (Kian Sampson, 12th) and Drama Teacher Ms. Darbus (Conner Prete, 10th) add dramatic tension as they work through the conflicts that arise when students start to break free from the norm.
Aptos High Drama produces three to four performances per school year, and my classmates and I were extremely excited when this musical was announced. We have been rehearsing since February, and I am so proud to see how quickly we pulled this show together. Tommy Patterson (12th), new to the program, said that theater “means a place where [he can] go and meet new people.”
The entire cast can’t wait, no matter how experienced. Twelfth- grader Eleanor Pursley has participated in musicals at AHS for four years, on stage and as lead choreographer, she said that she has really enjoyed rehearsals and she is excited to perform in her last show with her friends. Newcomer Lorelei Tracy (10th grade) described the experience as “the start of something new and exciting.”
I would like to thank our director Ms. Aronovici for the commitment she has shown for this theater program. Her hard work and dedication shows she is a valuable asset to our high school and our community.
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If you would like to support our theater program here at Aptos High, please come and see our production of the family-friendly High School Musical (On Stage)! Featuring a cast and crew of more than 50 students, and a live band, performances are:
- April 16, 17, 23, 24: 7 p.m.
- April 25: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The performance is located at the Aptos High Performing Arts Center. Reserved Seats are available online at https://aptos.seatyourself.biz. Non-reserved seats are available at the door 30 minutes before showtime, pay what you will with a suggested donation of $10. Additionally, there will be an art exhibit in the lobby featuring student artwork from all art classes from our campus. Hope to see you there!