At the conclusion of the Dos Pueblos High School production of Legally Blonde, Parker Sassola, who plays Emmett, kisses Gracie Barker, who plays Elle Woods. It’s a classic Broadway musical moment, with the romantic leads downstage center, spotlit for maximum effect. Last Friday night, I happened to be seated next to the Sassola family, and as a result, I experienced the kind of contact thrill that only a real-life high school musical can provide. “We didn’t even know he sang!” his sister told me during intermission, and then there he was, her big brother up there onstage kissing the star of the show in front of the whole school. I didn’t know whether to squirm, like mom and sis, or scream, like many of his classmates, so I just followed Mr. Sassola’s lead and smiled proudly. Chalk up another victory for the big spring musical, one of American high school’s grandest traditions.
The last two weeks in April present the opportunity to see no fewer than four high school musicals in Santa Barbara. Legally Blonde, which opened on April 17 at DP, runs through April 25. Young Frankenstein hits the stage at Laguna Blanca School on April 23 and shows through April 25. The Mystery of Edwin Drood, at Santa Barbara High, opens on April 24 and runs through May 3. Crazy for You, at San Marcos High School, opens on April 30 and runs through May 9. All of these shows are 100 percent local productions and represent the culmination of countless hours in rehearsal, stage building, practice, and memorization not only for the students onstage but also for the student crews, the incredibly dedicated teachers, and the supportive parents who will crowd these theaters for the chance to experience the kind of magic I witnessed with the Sassolas at Dos Pueblos on Friday night.
These days, however, parents are not the only ones who will be lining up for these performances. In many ways, the audience for high school musicals has begun to outstrip the one that’s willing to pay to see professional shows. It’s not just that it’s a younger crowd, although at a recent matinee of the musical Tarzan performed by the students of Lompoc High, I was stunned to realize that the average age in the room was likely no higher than 11. What has happened with high school musicals is actually much bigger than that. Blame it on Glee, blame it on Disney’s High School Musical franchise, or even hold American Idol and The Voice responsible, but any way you figure it, the energy and interest in these shows among the general public is rapidly on the rise. A recent Wall Street Journal article described a New York couple with no children performing who had managed to see 17 high school musicals this year. While that would not be possible for someone attending solely those shows staged in Santa Barbara, add in Ventura, and you could easily equal it.