They say that good things come in small packages, and this theater is a great small package. The stage itself is smaller than you think, but one would think this musical was performed on a professional stage with the amount of talent bursting through each of the actors.
BreakThrough Theater in Winter Park, Florida opened in 2009 and has been serving the Winter Park area since then. With such a small space, it takes a lot of love to put on well-known shows. For their performance of Disney's High School Musical, director Jamaal K. Solomon put together a show including all of the songs and added two songs that brought the story up to date.
When I went to see it with my fianće for our birthday we came out of the show amazed with the acting and dancing. They only used one background but had a multitude of props that brought each scene to life. Jack Scott (played by Michael Durand) keeps the scenes going with comedic commentary that keeps the parents happy to watch their kids favorite show.
This show was perfect for both kids and adults. My fianće and I were laughing so hard at Ms. Darbus (played by Molly Hicks) showcasing what it is like to have a favorite Drama teacher.
The casting was perfect on all levels including the two leads Troy Bolton (played by Janitzo Medina) and Gabriela Montez (Gabby Hatch). Sharpay Evans (played by Iris Johnson) and her twin brother Ryan Evans (played by Jonathan Barreto) were re-imagined in the most hysterical and pleasing to the ear with both their voices and sass. I'd like to give a shout out to Iris and Jonathan for giving me a new perspective on Sharpay and Ryan.
Kelsi Neilson (played by Rachel Loughman) made us all feel sorry for her as Sharpay treated her like dirt beneath her shoes, when Sharpay was talking about her play. The rest of the company brought their own twist, but still kept to the original characters.
Chad Danforth (played by Jordan Grundorf) and Taylor Mckessie (played by Kelly Dillion) were voted cutest couple of the show, next to Troy and Gabriela of course, by my fianće at the end of the show.
We felt all of the emotions of Martha Cox (played by Christy Thompson) during the lunch scene after being shut down because of her Hip-hop moves. We both felt bad for Zeke Baylor (played by Eli Hamilton) when his cake fell on Sharpay. Coach Bolton (played by Rob Del Medico) had us all thanking our lucky stars that some of our dads were not as strict as he was, and had us sympathizing with Troy Bolton.
When Ripper (played by Gonzalo Mendez) started explaining that he plays Cello, and it goes against the status quo, he brings a new perspective on the skater/ stoner group that we all know from our High Schools.
The show went smoothly as the actors moved the props with ease to accentuate the scenes themselves. Local Theater is such an inspiration to those outside of the arts, because it allows for those to escape realty for a while.
Rob Del Medico (who plays Coach Bolton) says "The Hairs, Solomon and Rhode provide a positive outlet for extremely talented high school and college aged adults to hone their craft while maintaining a fun, familial atmosphere. I could not have agreed more. The theater creates a safe environment that allows for experimentation in the arts."
Community theatres, especially ones like the BreakThrough Theatre of Winter Park, create safe places where people from every sort of background can come together, put aside any differences and become family.
"My experience with High School Musical is one for the books, as I've made so many new friends and learned so much from the actors I've worked with,." This is a glowing review from Jordan Grundorf (who plays Chad Danforth) proves just why community theatre is so important.
With Breakthrough Theater being the size that it is, it truly takes a lot of planning to do a show of this magnitude. As Christian Santiago (HSM ensemble) explains, "Breakthrough is the theatre that takes on big production such as High School Musical and tackles it down in a small space it known as the theatre that welcomes anyone and everyone no matter of race gender or sexual orientation and that's what I love about this theatre."
The cast was a complete mix of all types of people, and all of them left their talent on the stage. My fianće and I will plan in the future to come and see more shows. With the ticket prices being perfect for a college kid and wedding planning budget, why not spend a few hours at this adorable theater?
Everyone should give local theater a chance due witnessing the actors and actresses develop their talent, and it truly is an awesome sight to see. If you are in the Orlando area, definititely look up the BreakThrough Theatre of Winter Park.
