CORDOVA -- The students of East High School will invade Edisto this weekend during a staging of the popular Disney production "High School Musical."

Carver-Edisto Middle School was one of 10 schools nationwide and four in the Southeast chosen to receive a $5,000 grant from the NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel's "Disney's High School Musical: The Music in You Grant Program." The program encourages middle and high schools across the country to stage their own productions of "HSM."



C-EMS Choir Director Lauren Hannay says this is the first musical the school has ever attempted.

"We are involving the whole school in this production," she said. "The art class will be doing the scenery, the publishing class will create the program, and the music and drama classes will do the music and the acting.

"For some of our students, this will be their first live musical. Getting the grant was the only way we could do this."

This is also the first major production staged in the EHS auditorium, she said. Most of the $5,000 grant went to updating the auditorium's lighting and sound equipment, as well as purchasing makeup for the cast and other production materials.

"It has been an adventure," Hannay said. "It's been up and down, and we have gone through a lot to get it to where it is."

Hannay, who is in her first year of teaching, said she had the idea to do "HSM," "because of its popularity, its curb appeal."

When she ordered the materials, Hannay said she was told about the grant program.

"We were just perfect for it," she said. "It was based on need and our budget."

The school was awarded the grant in March, "and we began rehearsing the next week," Hannay said.

Those in the C-EMS production of "High School Musical" said the experience has been great.

"I've seen all of them," said Chelsea Murray, an eighth-grader who will be portraying student composer Kelsi Nielsen. "I'm a big fan of 'High School Musical.'

"I like to sing and dance, and we've never had the option to do this at the middle school."

This is the first show Murray has ever been a part of. She said while the school's production borrows choreography from the movie version, "it's different, in a way."

"I would love for people to come. It was a great experience," Murray said.

Sixth-grader Ronsha Williams said he's been in several productions before, and while he didn't know much about "HSM" coming in, he, too, has enjoyed the opportunity to be on the stage at school.

"In our other (lower-grade) schools, we don't have a lot of focus on the arts," he said. "So when we had this opportunity, we just jumped on board because we don't know if we'll ever have this opportunity again."

Williams will be portraying Ryan Evans, the fraternal twin and sidekick of Sharpay Evans. Sharpay will be played by Kaelin Britt, a seventh-grader.

"I've never seen the first movie, but I've seen the third, so I have an idea of who she is," Britt said of her character, a manipulative drama queen. "But I am a big fan of this show."

While Britt has performed in many community and school productions, she said she enjoys every opportunity to be on the stage.

"I think of it as a really good experience because I really want to pursue acting," she said. With every stage opportunity, "you learn different skills and lessons until you get to where you're going."

Britt said she hopes the community comes out to support her and her fellow actors.

Hannay said the children, their parents and volunteers have put in tremendous effort to pull off the production.

"The maturity level these kids have shown -- they have grown so much. They have handled so much, and they are only in middle school," Hannay said.

Hannay said all students who auditioned were cast.

"They have exceeded every expectation I ever had for them, by probably about 110 percent," she said.

T&D Features Editor Wendy Jeffcoat Crider can be reached by e-mail at wjeffcoat@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5546. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

If you go ...

What: Disney’s “High School Musical,” produced by Carver-Edisto Middle School

When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 1-2

Where: Edisto High School auditorium

Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. They can be purchased by calling C-EMS at 803-534-3554.

Cast of "High School Musical," produced by Carver-Edisto Middle School

Corey Varner -- Troy Bolton

Lori Elliot -- Gabriella Montez

Kaelin Britt -- Sharpay Evans

Ronsha Williams -- Ryan Evans

Grayson Nettles -- Ms. Darbus

Darian Darby -- Chad Danforth

Alyssa Broeker -- Taylor McKessie

Chelsea Murray -- Kelsi Nielsen

Hassan Thompson -- Zeke Baylor

Christian Darby -- Coach Bolton

Christina Simmons -- Martha Cox

Anna Stutzman -- Kratnoff

Erin Carey -- Skater Chick

Will Seth -- Jack Scott

Lauren Hannay -- Ms. Tenny/Moderator

Taylor Bates, Kelli McNeil, Tiffany Keitt, Layne Blewer, Judy Brito, Robyn Hoover, Shanica Weatherly, Ivory Wolfe -- Chorus (Jocks/Skaters/Brainiacs)

You must be logged in to comment.