Local youth put on a fun show

By Philip Brown
Special to the Observer

Lakeland Arts Center in Littleton featured its youthful talent Friday night with the opening of “High School Musical” for the stage, which went over as a success with the crowd on opening night.

With high-energy dancing, singing and humor also mixed in, the show deals with the subject matter of high school angst and hilarity, but the themes are handled in a way that will keep anyone in the theater to see the next full company song, or even break-dancing skit.

The show featured some teens who’ve had a lot of experience with the Lakeland stage, and some others who got their first taste of show business, according to Director Wally Hurst.

“We had a really short rehearsal period,” Hurst explained. “But these kids worked really hard. When I cast the show, I told them that they would have to rehearse every day, and they worked every day. They showed up ready to learn their lines, their choreography and their singing, and it is not an easy thing to do to talk and dance and sing all at the same time.”

The show did feature two adults, with Maria Hurst playing the melodramatic English teacher, Ms. Darbus, and Steve Hyman played the abrasively ambitious basketball coach, Mr. Bolton.

The show’s two leads paused from accepting accolades from the audience after the show long enough to offer their thoughts on the show.

“It was fun to do the choreography for it,” female lead Akasha Bache, playing Gabriella Montez, shared after the show. “It was fun, but it was a challenge.”

She explained that she had ten shows under her belt at Lakeland, “plus like a billion dance recitals.”

Levi Garrett, the male lead “Troy,” said that he’d done five shows before this one. “It’s been a good experience. It’s always a challenge, but with the people the were in it, it went very well. It was fun.”

The crowd was also treated to a wonderful performance by Amber Gutterson, as “Sharpay,” a female supporting role. Gutterson, as was Bache, was also credited for original choreography.

Overall, no one role overshadowed the others, and the chemistry on stage seemed to extend uninterrupted through the entire cast of 25-30 youth.

The show will continue this weekend at The Centre at Halifax Community College, as part of a new partnership with Lakeland, and will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, while the Sunday matinee is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.