Spring Production Breaks Free with ‘High School Musical’

The jocks huddle up before bursting into the sporty choreography of “Getcha’ Head in the Game.” *Photo: Sharon Nguyen*

By ELISE BADMAEV and BECCA GREENBERG

“We’re soaring and flying!” sang juniors Meir Kalderon and Gisele Borno. Looking around at the crowd gathered in the auditorium, it was clear that the audience was truly feeling these iconic lyrics. A chorus of voices rose from the rows of seats as students and family began to sing along with the actors on stage. The energy flowing through the room was palpable and the cast’s excitement was electric as the Spring Production returned to the stage after a four year hiatus.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, May 19, the theater class debuted their production of High School Musical, led by Mr. Conrad Boyd, Ms. Alina Bernstein, Ms. Samantha Talavera, and Ms. Melissa Manzi. The Spring Musical Production was back with a bang after years of Covid precautions kept the auditorium vacant.

“I let the students choose this year's theme; they were passionate about it,” said Mr. Boyd. “The original plan was for The Addams Family, but the students wanted to choose something that lined up more with their lives and felt right to them.”

Cast members were oozing with enthusiasm about their roles from day one. Lead actor Kalderon, who played Troy Bolton, started as an understudy. He was “ecstatic” about his quick promotion and started practicing his own version of method acting.

“Meir has everything Troy Bolton themed: his wallpaper, Airdrop name, Instagram profile photo, and Macbook screen. He also has a Troy shirt,” said Borno, who played Gabriella Montez on Friday.

“I think playing Gabriella came naturally to me, partially because of my friendship with Meir and the cast,” Borno said. “We have a mutual understanding of each other's roles and respect for everyone’s effort.”

Jolene Chan ‘23, who played Gabriella in the Saturday show, said, “I always enjoyed watching High School Musical movies, and I never thought I would be one of the leads. When I actually got it, I was shocked because I just wanted to be part of the ensemble. I’m glad Gisele and I can bring different things to the table.”

The cast emphasized the bond they all share and the love they felt as a group.

“We are sort of a family,” said overall production director Tiffany Parkhomenko ‘23. “We do fight sometimes, but everyone knows that at the end of the day we are just friends. At the beginning, we sank into our parts really well, and as time goes on we continue to thrive as a cast. Now everyone is just comfortable with each other, and that’s all that matters.”

Considering the four year gap since the last live production, 2019’s In the Heights, stakes were high for the cast and crew. “Some of my friends are in it and I’m so excited to see them in a different light,” said junior Cassandra Rivera. “This is such a good plot, so I feel like it has to be done well for it to be a crowd pleaser.”

The ensemble lends a helping hand during the detention scene. *Photo: Sharon Nguyen*

In the weeks leading up to the show, the cast was in unison and the faculty was passionate, but obstacles inevitably remained. “The process itself has been difficult because of the timing,” said Mr. Boyd. “We are coming off of four major performances [SING! plus Midwood’s cultural fests], which means some talented kids weren’t able to join the production. We are running tight on time, but it’s just something we have to deal with.”

Due to the pressing need for the actors to practice on stage, the faculty members were able to have the dates for the performance pushed back a couple of weeks.

“The change in performance dates lifted a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” said senior Kate Sum, who played Taylor McKessie. “The cast has been working hard to put a great show together, so I feel prepared for the big night.”

As performance day approached, the cast felt almost entirely secure. “I can’t wait to perform on Friday and Saturday,” said Sabastian Senior ‘23, who played Coach Bolton. “But of course there is an underlying feeling of nervousness.”

“The reality is starting to kick in,” said Mr. Boyd, as opening night neared. He took over the production from Ms. Elizabeth Bommarito, Midwood’s former long-running drama teacher. “This will be my first performance in the school,” said. “It’s like a wave about to crash.”

All the nervous jitters were well worth it because of the epic feedback and audience reaction. The performance started off with Midwood’s cheerleaders dancing in the aisles as the hosts, Kimberly Morel ‘23 and Mierah Millington ‘24, set the scene with some dry humor, a crowd favorite.

“As someone who is an avid fan, I loved that the show modeled what I expected to see,” said junior Kelly Mordekhaiev.

“The cheerleaders slayed so hard, boots down, Houston I’m deceased,” joked Sam Gorelik ‘24.

The show was bittersweet for the seniors, who were taking the stage for the last time. *Photo: Deborah Zeleny*

After elaborate dance performances and bad audition parodies, the crowd went wild when the “jocks,” led by Kalderon, began to sing “Get’cha Head in the Game.” The scene contained real basketball drills and passes between the actors, mixed with the intense choreography that left the crowd energized as the song ended.

“Honestly, ‘Get’cha Head in the Game’ was so fierce, and I really didn’t expect it,” said Ashly Flores ‘24.

But the big dances and song numbers weren’t the only high points of the show. Many in the audience fell in love with a childhood favorite character all over again.

“My favorite part was when Sharpay was in the scenes,” said sophomore Darany Sin. “Sharpay had such fun outfits and her character was amusing because of all the extravagant scenes. I loved her getting pied.”

Intricate flats and props created by the artists and set designers truly brought the scenes to the next level. The production crew also impressed by setting stage lights and sound cues in just a little over a month of rehearsals.

“It was stressful leading up to the show, but I am so proud of my backstage crew for this huge accomplishment,” said Emily Law ‘23, the set director. “We had extremely limited time, but we were still able to create large yet simple sets that left the audience in awe.”

“We tried our best to make the flats as realistic as possible because we wanted the audience to immerse themselves in the feeling of being a Wildcat,” said Jaclyn Gendler ‘23, a set designer.

The cast rehearses in the theater production room. *Photo: Elise Badmaev*

The majority of the cast were seniors who had been actively involved in school productions, giving them a bittersweet feeling knowing that this will be the last time they’ll take the stage as Hornets.

“One of my favorite moments might have actually been after the show itself,” said Deborah Zeleny ‘23. “For many of the seniors who were involved in productions like SING!, Asian Fest, etc. throughout their four years at Midwood, this was their final show, their final pre-show memories, and their final bow on the Midwood stage.”

“This whole time I’ve been scared to reach the end of this production because it kind of marks the end of the school year,” said senior Chloe Mister, who played the iconic Sharpay Evans. “My AP classes are over, my one way airplane ticket to Florida [for college] has been booked, and my friends are all going to different colleges. I’m glad I was able to have such a memorable experience with this lovely cast to cap off my four years at Midwood.”

The revival of the Spring Musical Production left us all wanting more. And after this year’s production, one thing is clear: there’s not a star in heaven that this cast and the crew can’t reach.