I am so excited to be able to present to you National Youth Theater's FIFTH musical, "High School Musical, Jr!" I can't think of a better way to ring in this milestone than to bring you back to the early 2000's for this fun, upbeat, and nostalgic show. "High School Musical, Jr." follows the stories of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, two unlikely friends from opposing cliques. When Troy, the star basketball player at East High, meets Gabriella, an academic overachiever, at a winter break karaoke contest, it unlocks within him a love of singing and performing. Societal pressures to fit in and "stick to the status quo" prevent him from pursuing his newfound interest until Gabriella unexpectedly transfers to East High, reuniting the pair. The story follows Troy and Gabriella and their journey to find their passion and fuel their individuality, meanwhile inspiring their classmates to step outside of their comfort zones.
I want to thank everyone who had a hand in this production: the cast and crew, every single parent volunteer, Meg, Janelle, and the directing team. Thank you to Hannah and Andrea for jumping in with both feet and being so receptive to learning. Jazmin and Aaron, thank you for taking this crazy chance with me almost 3 years ago, starting with our 16-hour long free workshop (yikes that was a bad idea) and partnering with me ever since. Thank you to the Zierten, Gonzales, Liegl, Sorenson, and Owens families; thank you for watching kiddos, holding down the fort at home, and supporting our team so that we could all continue to pour into our HSM cast each week. Thank you to my parents and siblings for your unwavering support all these years- I couldn't do this without you. And thank you, Adam, for believing in me every single day. Thank you for picking me up when I'm down, for reminding me that I can do it when I feel like I can't, and for always, always seeing the best in me.
Our fifth show wouldn't be complete without thanking every single family who has been here with us since the beginning! A special shoutout to Taylor Yocco, Mitchell McCall, Brinnly Czarnecki, Mia Lopez, Lu Lopez, Clara Buisch, Nora Buisch, Julia Bowers, Kieran Rightler, Kristine Stratton, and Gabby Wiess- thank you for trusting us for 5 shows and counting! We love you all!
And finally, Meg- thank you for jumping into this incredibly important role 5 shows ago. Our company is better because of you, and we are all so thankful for everything you have done for us. The amount of work that you've done behind the scenes has not gone unnoticed, and I am grateful to have had you on our team in this way for so long! We are excited for you to step into a new role within our company, and beyond thankful for how much you have helped us grow over the last 5 shows.
Enjoy the show- thank you for coming and supporting National Youth Theater!
-Alex Agos
HSM Director
Executive/Artistic Director, NYT Wisconsin
