Harrell Theatre premieres 'Disney's High School Musical 2'

Harrell Theatre's "Disney High School Musical 2" features (from left) Ashton Tate (Chad), Kristina Hanford (Sharpay), Lauren Bell (Gabriella), Tierinni Jackson (Taylor), Bently Black (Ryan), and Christopher Hanford (Troy), among other cast members. The show runs through Aug. 3.

It’s possible to confuse “Disney’s High School Musical 2” with “Disney’s High School Musical.”

“2” carries over not only the same name but the same characters in practically the same situations, all aimed at the same tween demographic that made both movies outsize hits on the Disney Channel.

Harrell Theatre's "Disney High School Musical 2" features (from left) Ashton Tate (Chad), Kristina Hanford (Sharpay), Lauren Bell (Gabriella), Tierinni Jackson (Taylor), Bently Black (Ryan), and Christopher Hanford (Troy), among other cast members. The show runs through Aug. 3.

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The Harrell Theatre in Collierville premieres “Disney’s High School Musical 2” this weekend. Watch »

The first one went on to great success on stages around the country and has played locally at the Harrell Theatre in Collierville and the Orpheum in a touring show. On July 25, Circuit Playhouse is staging a production that runs through Aug. 24, and Panola Playhouse in Sardis, Miss., has one scheduled July 25 to 27. If that doesn’t smell like enough teen spirit, “Disney’s High School Musical: The Ice Tour” plays at the FedExForum Sept. 6.

But version 2 has not been on stage at a community theater anywhere until this weekend when the Harrell premieres “HSM2.” There are a handful of schools staging version 2 elsewhere, but the Collierville production is the first community theater presentation in the country.

Amy Hanford, who directed the first one at the Harrell in 2006, jumped at the chance to do this premiere. She took a moment in the middle of the last delirious days of rehearsal to explain how the opportunity came about.

Hanford’s husband, Rob Hanford, and their kids are all involved in performing arts. Their 13-year-old, Cody, appeared recently as Flounder in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” on Broadway. That connection, plus Amy’s experience directing shows at the Harrell for several years, led to the offer to direct “HSM2.”

Amy is accustomed to working with large groups — there are about 80 performers making up the senior and the middle school casts. But, she says, “It’s been one of the hardest challenges because it’s never been done on stage.” So she’s not only creating something from scratch, she’s also having to incorporate the inevitable last minute changes that have come from Disney.

The stage version will have some differences from the Disney Channel movie that was released last year. There are a couple of songs you’ll hear that were cut from the movie.

And the audience will get to see the whole cast singing and dancing during the numbers unlike the movie that often focused on the lead players, relegating the rest of the cast to the background.

There are a handful of Hanfords appearing in the production. Rob is on board as the officious twit Mr. Fulton. He’s the boss at the country club where all the kids have gotten summer jobs. In the senior cast, daughter Kristina plays the delicious role of the egomaniacal Sharpay and son Christopher is the heartthrob Troy.

Amy is a director possessed as this production goes from last minute details to opening night, but she is assured by who is backing her up. Veteran music director Angelo Rapan is on board as is Megan Homas Campbell as Amy’s co-choreographer.

And Amy is especially appreciative of the cast and crew who have spent their summer vacation knocking themselves out to make “HSM2” a worthy premiere.

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