This Saturday night, Ventura High School’s drama department began to wrap up their production of “High School Musical On Stage” with a bang, and followed by a well-deserved standing ovation.

Directed by Stefoni Rossiter, the “High School Musical” play began to screen on March 19 and continued through March 28, with incredible turnouts at each showing.

“Tonight was the biggest audience we’ve ever had, for any performance,” says Ventura High School senior Alara Worrick, who played Taylor McKessie.

The story is based on Disney channel’s original movie, “High School Musical.” This show portrays high school as being “the time of your life;” one in which you make friendships, find your passion, and navigate the many halls and classrooms day after day.

“High School Musical” follows the lives of two opposite teenagers, Troy Bolton, played by senior Troy Clevenger, and Gabriella Montez, played by sophomore Sarah Mehrina, who meet up while singing karaoke on New Year’s Eve.

As the story unfolds, the pair unknowingly encounters each other at East High. The two are instantly drawn to each other and share a close connection, as well as auditioning for their high school’s annual school musical on accident.

Unfortunately, their pre-existing cliques at East High don’t approve of their new friendship, and do whatever it takes to separate them.

Sharpay Evans (Emma Vielbig) is the president of the drama club, and along with her brother Ryan Evans (Joseph Demaria), and the two are always handed the lead roles. Sharpay sees both Troy and Gabriella as a threat to her and her brother. She sabotages them by rescheduling the callbacks for the school play, “Juliet and Romeo” the same time as Troy’s championship game and Gabriella’s decathlon.

Elyse Bryan a Junior at Buena High School, said her favorite part of the play was the dentition scene because “they added humor to a more serious scene to liven it up, and that part seemed to make everyone laugh.”

This causes both Troy and Gabriella to choose between friends and what they truly want to do.

In the end both decide to not let their friends down and skip the callbacks, even though in the beginning both Troy and Gabriella’s friends wanted them to have nothing to do with the play.

Gabriella’s friend, Taylor McKessie (Alara Worrick), finds a way to hack into the school’s electrical system at the same time as the basketball game and decathlon, hoping to buy enough time for Troy and Gabriella to perform their song at the callback.

Taylor’s plan works and Troy and Gabriella are allowed to perform. Their performance goes so well that they are cast as the lead roles, and best of all they show their classmates that it’s okay to break the so-called “status quo” and to step out from the social norms.

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Both Lauren Harkson-Brady and Alara Worrick describe their favorite part of the entire production as being the rehearsals.

“The most fun out of the whole show comes from the rehearsals and everyone working together with the songs and dances because most of the stuff we do together is in the ensemble,” said Harkson-Brady.

Worrick added, “I like towards the end of rehearsals, closer to the show, seeing everything come together and those who were just learning the songs from the beginning. Seeing them all of a sudden become a big number and having it onstage was really cool.”

This production was no easy task and it was definitely, from an audience’s perspective, well rehearsed once it hit the stage.

Junior Joseph Demaria, playing Ryan Evans in “High School Musical,” expressed his favorite part of the show as being “when we were doing tech rehearsals, and all the lights, all the sets, and the music came in, and it was an amazing experience when everyone just came together and all the hard work we put in just really paid off; so I think seeing that get put together was really awesome.”

Demaria goes on to explain why he enjoyed the choice in play.

“Not just because it’s a cult classic but because everyone can take something away from it. There are all of the clique and you learn that you don’t need to stick to one or the ‘status quo,’” he said.

Ventura High School’s performance of “High School Musical On Stage” appeals to everyone.

“High School Musical On Stage” will be showing for one more day, Saturday March, 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you’re in the mood for song, dance, and stepping out of the “status quo,” be sure to head down to Ventura High.

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