This one's for the kids
By Cindy VotrubaArticle Photos
Fact Box
Tickets for "High School Musical" are $12.50 for adults, and $12 for senior citizens and students. Dinner theater tickets are also available for the July 24 and July 30 show for $26. For tickets, call 507-368-4620.
LAKE BENTON - Five years ago, the Lake Benton Opera House performed "Grease" and had people who paid half price stand throughout the entire show in a sold-out run.
This year, the Opera House wants to do the same with the Disney smash hit that's been popular with teens.
"High School Musical" is being presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and also on July 30-31 and Aug. 1-2; and at 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 2-3 at the Lake Benton Opera House. The show is being directed by Mark Wilmes.
Wilmes said the Opera House's ticket buyers are getting older and older and he and the Opera House board thought doing shows, such as "High School Musical," would introduce younger people to theater.
"It's like a cult following for some of these pre-teen kids," Wilmes said about "High School Musical."
Cast members are aware of the following for the musical.
"For some reason, the younger kids really, really like this," said Ashley Vogt of Balaton.
"A lot of kids in my school still talk about it," Courtney Mensen of Lake Benton said.
"I have the movie at home and a lot of people wanted to borrow it," Mensen added. "Now I can't find it."
"You talk to any 11- or 12-year-old girl and they're obsessed with this show and the entire franchise," Wilmes said.
Wilmes said he and the Opera House board have read so many stories about people lining up to audition or to buy tickets for the show, so they decided to give it a go.
"(We said) 'let's do it now, then we'll get back to our regular fare (next year),'" Wilmes said. "I can't imagine a scenario of doing 'High School Musical 2.'"
Last year, "High School Musical," was performed in Adrian and was successful, Wilmes said.
"Kids were lining up with the actors to pose for pictures," Wilmes said.
Sara Vogt of Balaton said several of her co-workers have mentioned they plan to bring their kids to the show.
"I think we'll have a lot of kids who will come," Sara Vogt said.
Rachael Blake of Tyler said she also has both of the "High School Musical" movies.
"I just like these kinds of movies," Blake said. "Last year, they were just new and people wanted to see the new movie."
"There's a third movie coming out here," Kayla Tingle of Aurora, S.D., said.
Audrey Bloemendaal of Brookings, S.D., said her roommates gave her the movie for her birthday.
Bloemendaal said her middle-school aged cousins love the musical.
"It's definitely one of those shows that they have no problem liking," Bloemendaal said.
The plot may be a little "cheesy," cast members said, but it's the music that makes the show.
"It is a cheesy show, but we've done cheesy shows in the past," Wilmes said. "You don't have to think too hard, you just have to go and do the songs."
"The music is really good," Craig Jorgensen of Tyler said.
"You can say I've been singing them over and over again because they're stuck," Tingle said.
The music is very catchy, said Sara Vogt.
"And it appeals to those 11- and 12-year-olds," Vogt said.
"When it comes to the play, the music has a lot more depth and harmonies," Taylor Holck of Ruthton said.
The guys are also singing an octave higher than they are used to, Holck said.
"It's a great love story and it's good, upbeat songs," Tingle said.
"It keeps everybody awake," Mensen said.
Wilmes said getting "High School Musical" was easy, but acquiring the royalties was really expensive.
"We had to pay extra to get the recorded music," Wilmes said.
Wilmes said "Grease," which the Opera House performed in 2003, was also expensive.
But Wilmes is hoping for the same success the Opera House had with "Grease." Every show was sold out, and people even paid half price to stand during the performances.
"The jury is still out if it (High School Musical) will be a big moneymaker or not," Wilmes said.
