In the darkness of a crowded room, blazing lights illuminate a stage transformed into another world, decorated meticulously with vibrant red and whites. Under the spotlights stand a group of students decked in carefully curated costumes, twirling and singing with a passion that could not be tamed. The audience had no choice but to stare in awe at Ayala High School’s Musical production, High School Musical, the talk of campus during its run from Wednesday, March 18, to Saturday, March 21, performing five shows in total. The enthusiasm around the show was palpable from all parts of the student body.
“The atmosphere leading up to the musical was very energetic, and everyone was raving about it, making me excited to go,” Ella Chang (10) said.
These productions have always been crucial to Ayala, connecting to the core values all students are meant to uphold as they form meaningful bonds with those around them, and push their creativity to the maximum through student-led projects. These shows are the perfect way to honor the dedication the drama department demands from its students.
“Not only does [the musical] support and promote the students’ work but these productions also bring a sense of community to Ayala,” Chang said.
The cast and crew of the musical is indeed an inspiring, close-knit group that come from differing backgrounds, many of such students who do not have theater in their packed class schedule. The mix of different personalities, ideas, and imaginations, is a key reason for the success of the production.
“Not everyone has room to take the theater classes,” Lilian Kang, a sophomore who played the role of Ms. Darbus, said. “Opening it up to people who have done theater before, people who have not done theater before, people with no experience, and people with experience makes a community of so many different backgrounds. It allows people to use their strengths and weaknesses together to make such a beautiful show.”
Of course, the show was not without its flaws. Technical difficulties were present throughout the show’s run, but instead of the students allowing it to hinder their performance, they took these obstacles in stride, only adding more character to their acting.
“There were mistakes throughout the shows, but we learned to perform past them and cover them up pretty well,” Kang said. “They also made for funny memories afterwards. Some of us had to improv, had to run on cues, the crew had to fix light and sound cues within moments—these were all expected challenges that helped us to grow as a program.”
Each night as the actors took their last bows amid the sounds of thunderous applause, their self-satisfaction was clearly displayed proudly on their faces. These performances were not just ways to seek out praise; they were proof that when students put their hearts and minds into a cause, success was always within their reach. The countless difficult nights of practice and repetition were recognized through each standing ovation, showing all of the students involved that they had achieved something remarkable.
“Even though the rehearsals were tiring, we were only able to grow closer spending so many hours together, making the final performance even more rewarding,” Kang said. “Seeing everyone grow in their roles, especially ensemble, and get more and more confident as we approached the show just made me so proud of everyone.”
The choice of the show itself, High School Musical, hit home for all students at Ayala. As they enjoy the long journey that is high school, it is comforting to see common struggles or relatable joys reflected on them from the stage. Above all, the musical was an incredibly fun time, which is just what Ayala needed.
“My favorite part about the whole production is everyone coming together and having fun, especially in the last song, We’re All in this Together,” Sean Khan (10), a member of the lighting crew, said. “It summarizes everything that we aim for during the musical and during high school life.”
