A touch of the Disney entertainment juggernaut has arrived in Gary.
The West Side Theatre Guild is serving up “High School Musical Jr.” for a May 3-13 run.
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The production is spun from “High School Musical,” Disney’s 2006 television movie about a standout basketball player and a shy, intelligent girl who both love singing and go after lead roles in the school musical.
Those who attend performances of this spin-off presentation at Gary’s West Side Leadership Academy will experience the flavor of the Disney Channel film in an onstage setting that shows off local high school talent.
“They’re going to see a reflection of the ‘High School Musical’ film that they’ve come to know and love,” co-director Mark Spencer said. “It’s basically the same plot. What we’re doing is a condensed version. It’s a very lively musical.”
There are about 40 people in the cast, according to Spencer, artistic director of the West Side Theatre Guild.
The TV sequel “High School Musical 2” (2007) and the big-screen release “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” (2008) heralded another successful franchise for the Walt Disney Company.
Spencer said students from the Gary Community School Corporation showed great interest in bringing that brand to their own stage for a seven-show run.
“They really wanted to do this performance; it’s a piece that was really chosen by the young people,” Spencer said. “When the kids made me aware that this is something that they grew up with and they really wanted to perform, I was elated.”
Spencer said students in the cast are primarily from the Gary public school system, but young performers also come from other parts of Lake County and the surrounding areas.
Co-director Markeysha Coleman wants audiences who see “High School Musical Jr.” to go home with a certain message.
“I really want them to leave knowing that there is talent all over Northwest Indiana,” said Coleman, a choir teacher at West Side Leadership Academy.
She said the production features “children from every area” who are working together to deliver theatrical entertainment onstage at the academy.
“They want to perform. They want to act. They want to dance,” Coleman said. “There’s no drama; there’s no issues. The kids are actually coming together.”
The songs in “High School Musical Jr.” include the buoyant “We’re All In This Together” and the dance-friendly “Getcha Head In the Game,” according to Spencer.
Additionally, there is the pep-rally fervor of “Wildcat Cheer.”
“High School Musical Jr.” follows the world of teen cliques, including brainiacs, jocks, thespians, skater dudes and even the drama diva.
The show takes places in the high school world of basketball, homeroom and science decathlon.
The story focuses on East High, with its basketball team captain Troy and the brainy Gabriella.
Troy meets Gabriella while both are singing karaoke.
The couple decides to audition for their high school musical. While many students object to the threat that poses for the “status quo,” the pair’s alliance “might just open the door for others to shine as well,” according to promotional material from the West Side Theatre Guild.
An opening program will take place before each performance. The complementary dance program is directed by Rose Simmons.
Tickets are free and available at the main office of the West Side Leadership Academy, 900 Gerry St. There is a limit of four tickets per person, or for groups of up to 20, according to a news release.
Disney’s ‘High School Musical Jr.’
When: 7 p.m. May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11; 4 p.m. May 6, 13
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Where: West Side Theatre at West Side Leadership Academy, 900 Gerry St., Gary
Tickets: Free
Information: 219-390-9784; facebook.com/The-West-Side-Theatre-Guild-141396619233698/
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.