- "High School Musical" actor Lucas Grabeel visited East High School's theater class rehearsal on Friday.
- He shared insights and advice from his experience in the "High School Musical" films.
- East High's theater class will perform "High School Musical" next month, Feb. 19-24.
SALT LAKE CITY — With this year marking 20 years since "High School Musical" debuted on Disney Channel, the choice for the East High School theater class's February production was an easy one.
And when reimagining a classic work of media, referring to and revering the source material is oftentimes the determining factor in the success of the remake.
Luckily for the students, they got a truly rare opportunity when Lucas Grabeel — best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the "High School Musical" trilogy — dropped in on the group's rehearsal Friday to offer his insight and expertise.
"This is really special. I have never met and worked with a high school cast doing 'High School Musical,'" Grabeel told the cast. "I've been invited to many, many of them over the years, let me tell you. But this one is so special. Not only to the school, to the community and the city, but to me. So I made sure that I could make it here."
Entering the school's auditorium mid-rehearsal, Grabeel was met with loud cheers from the stage as he walked down the aisle to greet the cast.
"What's up, Wildcats? I just came by today to check on you and to see what your progress is like and maybe give you a little tip here and there or some pointers and share some of my experiences of what it was like shooting here 20 years ago," Grabeel said.
Grabeel took time to talk to the cast, answering questions of all varieties and shining some light on the life of a working actor.
In a room filled with many who hope to follow in Grabeel's footsteps and become actors themselves, Grabeel expounded his wisdom from his time in the industry,
"The last thing that we need is another dumb actor. Please be smart. Stay in school, care about your studies, try your best to pay attention and to care about everything," Grabeel said. "To work with people who are well-rounded and experienced and knowledgeable, versus someone who has just said, 'Well, I don't need to be smart, because I'm just going to be an actor,' I want to peel my skin off working with the person who doesn't know where America is on the map."
He also answered more lighthearted questions, like which of the movies from the trilogy is his favorite.
"The second one," Grabeel said, adding that the "first one has the best plot, the second one has the best music and the third one, it's all just the glitz and glamour and the production."
Jodi Reynosa, KSLAfter about 30 minutes of Q&A, it was time for the cast to get back to work on their performance, this time with Grabeel breaking down their take on what has become a cult classic.
Not there simply to rub elbows and reflect on the good times of filming, Grabeel dug into a cast that seemed extremely receptive to his constructive critiques.
"When you make a decision on stage, make it. Make it confidently, even if it's wrong," Grabeel said. "Right now is the time where you can make mistakes and mess up, but I want you to do it big and as confident as you can."
East High's theater class will be performing "High School Musical" Feb. 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. at the school's auditorium. Feb. 21 will also include performances at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Those interested in more information can find it at easthightheatre.org.
