Mountain View High performed “High School Musical” on March 14, 15 and 16, overcoming its initial funding challenges in October that almost prevented the spring musical from happening.
A drum corps, color guard team and cheerleaders with red and white pom-poms greeted theatergoers, bringing the set of East High School outside the theater before the performance. For the last two sold-out shows, the cast added an extra row of foldable chairs to accommodate the waitlist.
Unlike the familiar Disney original, Tory, a high school basketball player and main love interest, was cast gender-blind and played by senior Alara Sweet.
Out of practicality, it was also important to select a musical with an easy set design and a familiar storyline, given they had approximately four weeks less than usual, senior Perry Mirshafiei said.
“It’s my last year, and I really wanted to end it with a musical,” Mirshafiei said. “Being part of a musical means so much to the performing arts students.”
The musical involved several moving parts: Theater teacher Pancho Morris directed the musical, Jesse and Jill Denny directed the vocals and Dance Spectrum teacher Lauren Kato and the cast arranged the choreography.
“We were so grateful that we were able to do it,” stage manager and junior Sierra Kelly said.
More than 80 students participated, ranging from roles as stage managers to set designers to actors.
However, the sold-out show almost didn’t happen. Despite last year’s successful spring musical, “Little Shop of Horrors,” this year’s show was initially canceled due to funding issues. The theater council was notified on Oct. 16 that the stipends to pay the teachers for their extra time in rehearsals “somehow did not work,” according to Kelly.
Principal Dr. Kip Glazer and the school administration explained in a meeting with the theater student board and Pancho that funds used for the teachers’ extra pay duties were already allocated to sports programs, even though the labor contract also covers school productions, according to Kelly.
“There was some discussion regarding whether we could adhere to the labor contract while providing services to the students,” Glazer said. “[My] confusion came from that I was new to the job.”
Four days after student and parent advocates for the musical spoke at an MVLA school board meeting, Glazer announced the reinstatement of the spring musical on Nov. 17. She contributed 10% of the principal’s budget to fund the musical rights and technical equipment rentals.
“I was very happy to see it because of my desire to have it happening every year,” Glazer said. “You should see my iTunes selection and that inspired me to find a way to support it.”
Yet the financial compensation for the EPDs remains under negotiation. The results from the negotiations are set to be finalized at the end of this school year and will determine the policy for EPDs for the next school year.
Kelly said she and other theater participants hoped to ensure the continuation of musicals in the future.
“We plan to safeguard and ensure the musical’s stability so that we don’t have to advocate to protest and go through the school board every year to get the musical to happen,” Kelly said.
