Whether it’s the original or “The Start of Something New,” the High School Musical production here at Day Creek left a lasting impression on our campus. After 20 years on screen, the story hit Day Creek through a live stage performance.

High School Musical Jr. is a screen-to-stage adaptation of the original movie “High School Musical.” The story takes place in New Mexico in a school called East High following two young high schoolers named Troy, a popular basketball star, and Gabriella, a brilliant STEM student, who both want freedom in their passion of singing.

The director of the play, sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Harris, gathered a talented group of students to sing, act, and brought this story to life.

“It is a pretty well-known movie, we did take a lot of inspiration from the movie and I have seen a production or two of this before. So just kind of taking bits and pieces of things that I like from other productions,” said Mrs. Harris. “My cast was absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t change a single thing. They all did absolutely incredible. I’m always so amazed by the talent that they have.”

Seventh-grade students Hazel H. and Gael G. stole the show with their beautiful vocals and strong performances in duet songs such as “Start of Something New” and “What I’ve Been Looking For.” The two created a friendship between their characters through both the weakest and strongest parts of their relationship as the plot moved through the chaotic events of the original film.

“It was a really fun experience and I love the memories I made with my friends and the cast and crew,” said Hazel H.

“The experience was really great!” Gael G. said. “The cast, everyone did so well.”

In addition, Whitney J. and Johaan O., who played Sharpay and Ryan Evans, brought the comedic side of the play through songs like “Bop to the Top” and “Stick to the Status Quo.” They perfectly acted out the bratty personalities of these characters. Additionally, the students who played Mrs. Darbus and Coach Bolton, Claire S. and Wenda Z., also brought laughter to the room through their strong acting performances. On stage, they showed the conflict between whether Troy should stay popular or follow his passion for singing with Gabriella. The ensemble tied everything together. Included in almost every scene, they brought energy to the aisles and gave the real feeling of a crowded school. Their strong vocals that accompany the main singers gave more volume and emphasized important parts of the songs.

“I had a lot of fun being in the ensemble. I was kind of sad when it was over, but I really feel like it taught me a lot about team work and to just be yourself and that it’s okay to be weird,” said Isabel B. “I feel like the show was what it was supposed to be and in the end that’s all we could hope for.”

Even through all the fun, there were obviously obstacles that needed to be overcome. The director and most of the cast agreed that the main issue was tech.

“We had a lot of technical issues that happened,” said Mrs. Harris. “We were very diligent and got things taken care of pretty quickly and we were able to pivot through.”

“We obviously had a lot of tech problems,” said Hazel H. “One of the times our system crashed. But other than that everything went really good.”

“In the beginning we weren’t much of a team,” said Isabel B. “But toward the end we did really connect. There were also some hiccups in the rehearsal process and with the music, but we made it through and the show went on.”

Through all the complications, the students were able to persevere and continue to perform the show. Audience members also had a wonderful experience watching the cast perform.

“I’ve seen two other plays at this school,” Ellie L. said. “I think I liked Peter Pan the most, but High School Musical was a close second.”

“It was 10/10,” said Kailee C. “There was much more emotion to it. I felt like it was real. It felt like a movie to me. I feel that this one was more advanced than the one we saw in sixth grade.”

As the final notes faded and the stage lights dimmed, the production of High School Musical represented more than just the end of a play. It showcased the dedication and passion of the student actors. While the props and costumes were put aside, the memories created on stage will last long after the final curtain call.