Nearly 100 Dominican children and young people will stage Disney's High School Musical One-Act Edition at the Auditorio Casa San Pablo in Santo Domingo on August 19 and 20.
The production by ACT ONE Academy of Performing Arts will present two evening performances at 7:30 p.m. across the two dates. The show brings together a new generation of Dominican artists in a stage performance that combines acting, singing, and dance based on the original Disney Channel movie.
Santo Domingo is the capital city of the Dominican Republic. The original High School Musical film debuted on television in 2006 and established a popular global franchise centered on high school stage performers.
Story and Characters
The musical follows Troy Bolton, captain of the East High basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, a standout student with a passion for science. Both characters discover a shared interest in musical theatre during the story.
Their decision to audition forces them to confront expectations from classmates who believe students should restrict themselves to traditional school roles. The narrative incorporates supporting characters including Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, and Kelsi.
Organizers said the storyline develops themes centered on friendship, social inclusion, personal perseverance, and the importance of working in a collective team.
Two Casts on Stage
The production features two main casts performing across the scheduled dates. Directors selected the dual cast structure to expand student participation and allow more young performers to take on leading roles.
Vanessa Cucurullo, founder of ACT ONE Academy of Performing Arts, leads the production as director. Cucurullo established the academy in Santo Domingo in 2017 to train children and young people in musical theatre.
Since its founding, the institution has developed multiple stage productions inspired by family movies and classic musicals. Its curriculum combines performing arts discipline with core values such as personal creativity, mutual respect, self-confidence, and teamwork.
Scholarship Access and Training
The staging forms part of the broader educational mission maintained by ACT ONE Academy of Performing Arts. The institution provides partial or full scholarships to approximately 35 percent of its enrolled students.
Academy directors established the financial aid initiative to grant talented young performers access to professional stage training regardless of their family financial resources.
The academy considers artistic education a key mechanism for building personal character and social capabilities alongside technical skills in acting, singing, and movement.
Musical Numbers and Staging
The staging recreates the atmosphere of East High through custom scenery, theatrical costuming, and choreographed dance routines. The performance is designed for family audiences.
Performers are required to integrate acting, vocal performance, and dance during their preparation and stage appearance. The score features several prominent musical numbers from the original production.
Included in the show are the songs Start of Something New, Get'cha Head in the Game, What I've Been Looking For, Breaking Free, and We're All In This Together.
Licensing and Creative Team
Disney's High School Musical One-Act Edition features a theatrical book written by David Simpatico. The stage version is adapted from the original Disney Channel screenplay authored by Peter Barsocchini.
The musical score features original songs created by a team of songwriters including Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, Ray Cham, Greg Cham, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louiselle, David N. Lawrence, Faye Greenberg, and Jamie Houston.
Bryan Louiselle adapted, arranged, and produced the overall musical arrangements for the stage edition. The Santo Domingo performance is staged under a special licensing agreement with Disney Theatrical Licensing, a division of Music Theatre International.
Tickets for the August performances are available directly through ACT ONE Academy of Performing Arts, with ticket reservations handled through WhatsApp at 829-537-2898.
