Anshi Vajpayee, Staff Writer

Northview’s production of the musical franchise High School Musical, the epitome of every Northview student’s childhood and an all-around classic, is not only a powerful play on nostalgia but also a reminder of the constant hard work the theatre department sets forth by producing work every Northview student is bound to enjoy. 

“High School Musical premiered on the Disney channel when current Northview students were very young, so for them, it’s a classic,” drama director Elizabeth Lake said. “It’s so cool to see everyone getting excited about seeing the characters they grew up loving played by their friends here at our school.”

Although it has been almost 15 years since High School Musical took the world by storm, the excitement it evokes has not diminished, spurring eagerness among Northview students to see the play and reminiscence about a time when they once knew every single lyric of “We’re All in This Together” or “Bop to the Top.” In fact, even Northview’s very own Principal Brian Downey will play a minor narrating role, an aspect of the play Northview students are excited to see along with their friends reenacting traditional characters they once idolized, from Sharpay’s ambitious yet narcissistic personality to Troy Bolton’s mesmerizing looks. 

“Everyone grew up watching the movie; everyone is pretty excited to see our take on it,”  assistant technical director Micheal Bryan said. 

Bryan’s role is to make sure everything on the technical side is managed so deadlines can be met and the show can run smoothly.

However, the path to recreating Disney’s centerpiece is not easy, and the drama department finds themself working for hours upon hours to produce quality work reflecting the expectations the drama department has set given their past productions. The actors began rehearsals in January, and on the technical side, rehearsals began March 9, ending at 6:45 p.m. at the latest, every day for both. Behind the scenes, an array of light designers, board operators, ushers, and technical directors work specified roles to ensure the production of High School Musical runs smoothly. This specific time frame dubbed as “tech week” is when most of the technical work is done. 

“We work very hard, and there’s actually a class in school that works on it doing certain tasks,” Bryan said.

Northview’s drama department has managed to incorporate twists to the classic, from a pre-built professional-looking set to new songs and even new characters. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the date for the musical’s performance has been postponed. Until the new performance date, the drama department will continue to rehearse digitally.

“The most fun part of any show is seeing the cast and crew have the opportunity to share their hard work with their friends and family, but that’s even more fun when it’s a show that the audience knows so well,” Lake said. “I’m looking forward to seeing our audience enjoy all of the new songs and characters in addition to the ones they’ve grown up enjoying.”