"High School Musical" Brought Out a Talented Cast at Lake Wales High School

A large group of dedicated students at Lake Wales High School dedicated scores of their free hours and singing talents to three recent performances of "High School Musical."

Emily Fournier

Big musical numbers featuring a chorus of voices were included in the performances of High School Musical, giving many an opportunity to share their talents.

The play drew large audiences to their weekend performances, according to Emily Fournier, who helped direct and produce the play along with co-director Kimberlee Diallo. The two are dedicated educators at the local school.

Emily Fournier

Sofia Wagner and Noaha Sparks performed in High School Musical.

"We have been working on the play since December, meeting three days a week with a very diverse group of students to work on the play," Fournier said. "The kids picked the play they wanted to do, and I and my co-director worked to make it happen."

The large cast and chorus brought its own set of challenges as they juggled the varying schedules of the students involved.

"When I say diverse, I mean we picked kids that are in all four grades here at LWHS, they are captains of their weightlifting team, IB students, baseball players, tennis players, and archery members," Fournier said. "They really embodied what High School Musical is about by putting in the time to put on this show while also being committed to their other activities. All three shows were a hit, with performances happening this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday."

Emily Fournier

The inevitable tensions of high school life were part of the plot of High School Musical, but reliably, music is part of the solution.

The play by David Simpatico was ideally suited to the group and brought an enthusiastic response. Bringing an opportunity to perform to students each school year is one of the goals of the co-directors.

The cast included Troy Bolton, played by Malav Shah, Chad Danforth, played by Diego Colon Rodriguez, Zeke Baylor, played by Christian Wratten,

Sharpay Evans, played by Sofia Wagner, Taylor McKessie, played by Natalia Moreno, Ryan Evans, played by Noaha Sparks, Ms. Darbus, played by Ariana Febus, Coach Bolton, played by Ethan Roberts, Kelsi Neilson, played by Addison Yost, Jack Scott, played by Miles Sheppard, Martha Cox, played by Morgan McGrath, Susan, played by Jessica Bucci, Ripper, played by Hadley Hillard, Mongo, played by Ceannah Thompson, Cathy:, played by Elizabeth Sharf, and

Ms. Tenny/Student, played by Emily Irwin.

Emily Fournier

With a final bow the cast of "High School Musical" closed their final performance at lake Wales High School. The diverse cast juggled their schedules and free time to participate in the play.

The Ensemble included Neveah Rice, Daira Martinez, Jose-Negron Infante, and Kamila Cabrera Colon.