The new ABC television musical special Encore!, which reunites former classmates to rehearse and perform their high school musical one more time, premieres December 10 at 10 PM on ABC.
FROZEN’S KRISTEN BELL TELLS US WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ENCORE!
Frozen and The Good Place star Kristen Bell, who is a theatre kid herself, hosts and executive produces the documentary-style special that reunites a group of ex-classmates to restage their 1997 high school production of Into the Woods in its premiere episode.
Many of our favorite Broadway stars and theatre insiders began their theatrical careers in their own high school musical productions. Take a look at this exclusive slideshow featuring photos of teenage Lin-Manuel Miranda, Laura Osnes, Kara Lindsay, James Monroe Iglehart, Courtney Reed, Michael Arden, Wesley Taylor, Saycon Sengbloh, and more in their own high school productions.
Flip through photos of their high school performances below:
Blair Goldberg: "Playing Bombalurina in our high school's production of Cats! God, I'm a dancer!"
Lin-Manuel Miranda: As Conrad Birdie in the sixth grade production of Bye Bye Birdie. I was twelve years old and three feet tall. And all the girls in sixth grade had to pretend to be in love with me.
Jennifer Ashley Tepper: During my junior year of high school in Boca Raton, Florida, my school, Olympic Heights put on Funny Girl. I got to play the pivotal role of Polly the showgirl, one of Fanny Brice's gal pals who appears with her at Keeney's Music Hall. Along with Bubbles and Maude, Polly is a backup singer/dancer for Fanny, early in her career. Polly also does things like spy on the other showgirls, gossip with Fanny backstage, and throw shade at her when she makes a fool of herself in front of Nick Arnstein.
Jennifer Ashley Tepper: A few scenes later, I also played the equally pivotal role of the backstage seamstress at the New York Theatre, where Fanny first works for Florenz Ziegfeld. When Fanny tells Ziegfeld that she can't sing her lyrics in the finale, all actors on stage were instructed to halt what they were doing, and show their alarm. I took this direction to mean: Carry a large wooden box from stage left to stage right and at whatever point Fanny says, "Mr. Ziegfeld, I can't do this," jump into the air and throw the box as far and as hard as you can.
Ariana DeBose: When I was 17 I was in a Wake County High School Production of A Chorus Line where I played Cassie. #Blassie It was pretty stellar.
Jose Llana: From my high school, The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Rumors - senior year - as Ernie Cusack. A lot of silly fun and a ton of wrinkle lines and white crap in my hair.
Jose Llana: West Side Story - senior year - as Tony. I was playing this part when I decided I wanted to pursue a career in professional theater. It meant the world to me.
Raymond J. Lee: My first HS musical Crazy For You where I played Wyatt the cowboy.
Raymond J. Lee: The annual Blast From The Past at Winston Churchill High School. This was the first year I had a solo and got to sing "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" in a white tux.
Will Van Dyke: Finch in How to Succeed
Laura Osnes: I played "Neighbor Kid," which in the original play and movie version of "SummerTree" is supposed to be a black child, I believe... (oh, midwestern high school). I'm pictured with Dave Edwards who played the lead, Jerry, and I remember feeling so grateful because I was the only sophomore in a small cast of five other juniors and seniors. Eagan High School - One Act Play 2001. Directed by Dennis Swanson, who directed me in over 10 productions throughout my youth. We still keep in close contact today.
Natascia Diaz: As Adelaide in Guys and Dolls my senior year at Columbia Prep in NYC. I was eternally grateful for the non-traditional casting. My favorite memory was the skinny, hilarious stoner of our class stealing the show as Nicely!
Alexandra Silber: Golde at 15. What could be more appropriate? Incidentally, when I did Fiddler in the West End in 2007-8, I would often take Beverley Klein (who played Golde) aside and offer some "tips."
Wesley Taylor: Clearly a very subtle and nuanced performance, here's me as Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew. I was 16. Dr. Phillips High School.
Remy Zaken: In Captain Louie at the Little Shubert. Our opening night was on Halloween, so everybody dressed up. I was a cat.
Remy Zaken: In Spring Awakening, Lilli and I chilling between shows. We would go to tutoring together, along with Jenn Damiano, Gideon Glick and Gerard Canonico.
Heather Parcells: It was Anything Goes at Hampton Roads Academy in Newport News, VA. It was my first musical. I played "Virtue," one of the Angels. As you can see...having bangs was really in at the time in the 90's, so my pretty sparkly headband was completely hidden from view because of my terribly teased bangs. Oh...and those braces!!!! LOL. OH... I was terrible too!!! ha! The girl next to me is Mrs. Allie Wittkamp (formerly Lee) who is still a dear friend. We've known each other since we were probably 6 or so.
Joel Perez: Here I am as Conrad Birdie in my senior year production of Bye, Bye Birdie at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA. I drew those side burns on with a Sharpie!
Corey Mach: Me as Jesus in Godspell in 2003 (I was 15).
Joel Perez: Here I am in the 8th grade as The Herald in the first musical I was ever in, Cinderella at Fellowship Christian Academy in Methuen, MA.
Krystina Alabado: Me as Lucy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown in 12th grade at Tempe Little Theatre (Seth Tucker, in white, is actually is in Pageant right now Off-Bway!)
Krystina Alabado: Me as Gabriella Montez in High School Musical in 12th grade at Greasepaint Youtheatre, the AZ premiere in 2007! I got nominated for an ariZONI Award for Best Actress in a Musical! I lost. haha.
Nikka Graff Lanzarone: My senior year production of Sweet Charity, where I played Nickie. Gerry McIntyre choreographed this production. Also in the photos are Megan Campbell (Millie on Bway) and Josette Wiggan (Banana Shpeel).
Leah Hofmann: My junior year at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, MO, I played Brooke Ashton in Noises Off. I recall that my high school wouldn't let me run around in my unmentionables, so this pink satin robe just had to do...
Ali Ewoldt: These are from Pleasantville High School's production of Kiss Me, Kate. I played Lilli/Kate my junior year opposite Kyle Lowder who went on to play starring roles on "Days of Our Lives" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Ali Ewoldt: My eyeshadow was clearly a little out of control...
Heather Parcells: When I was Audrey in Little Shop as a junior in high school. I'm far right.
Manna Nichols: Me (Tiger Lily) and Kobi Libii (Captain Hook) in Peter Pan. Kobi plays Aaron Stimson in Amazon Prime's "Alpha House," starring John Goodman.
Kara Lindsay: My Greece Athena High School (Rochester, NY) production of Nunsense. This was my Junior Year and I played Sister Mary Amnesia. Our Director was Judith Ranaletta. Not my best look...a puffy teenager in a Habit:) I will never forget this wonderful show, our special cast, and how many laughs we shared! This was a definite growing experience for me as a teenager; allowing myself to be goofy on stage, learning puppetry, singing super high soprano, and just tackling things that would normally scare the crap out of me. Wonderful memories!
Saycon Sengbloh: Godspell at Tri-Cities High, 1995 Neal Ghant, Kenisha Maddox, Maisha McQueen, Christine Horn (Lion King), Jahi Kearse (Holler), me, Dashill Smith, David Kote, Sahr Ngaujah (Fela!) and Theryn Night
Michael Arden and Alexandra Silber: As Georg and Amalia at Interlochen Arts Academy
Will Taylor: This is me as Sky Masterson in my high school production of Guys and Dolls Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC. This pose is what i like to call "the squatting crapshooter."
Libby Servais: Maumee HS credits include 1) Annie where I spray painted my hair red & wore curlers to school everyday. 2) Cinderella 3) Dorothy, with enough blue eyeshadow for the town across the river to see. 4) Annie Oakley- my favorite
Jenny Powers: Me as Alice Beane in Northwestern University's production of Titanic. I believe Northwestern was the first ever University to take on the huge production. Pictured with me is now producer, Kenneth Ferrone.
Derrick Cobey: From Kiss Me Kate at Mount Vernon High School. One weekend I was playing Fred/ Petruchio...
Derrick Cobey: …the next weekend I was Gremio, in the chorus, in a fat suit (at least I think it was a fat suit)
Allison Case: When i was Liesl in The Sound of Music. I am on the right :)
James Monroe Iglehart: In You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
Kate Rockwell: My high school production of Peter Pan. I played Tiger Lily, but also had to sing "Mysterious Lady" because we didn't have any other sopranos in the cast. Spring of 2001, at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio!
Cheryl Daro: In Evita at Children's Musical Theater San Jose
Patti LuPone: I played Nellie in South Pacific and Kate in All My Sons. Northport HS shows were always sold out because the community supported us and in return expected a high standard, which we delivered—if I do say so myself!
Cheryl Daro: In Peter Pan at Children's Musical Theater San Jose
Natalie Weiss: As Audrey in Little Shop at Manalapan High School
Wesley Taylor: Production of Henry IV. I played Falstaff. Yes that's me on the left with fat suit, prosthetics, wig, etc
Melissa Errico: Friends Academy High School in Locust Valley, Long Island in "the early 90s." This was a duet with Leslie Peirez in an evening of show tunes called The Variety Cabaret. We were singing "Blue Skies."
Jenny Lee Stern: As Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at CB West High School in Doylestown, PA. Age: 16.
Nick Cearley: My junior year, I played Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady. In this picture, I want you to take in the boldest acting choices you will ever see in the history of the Ascot Gavotte.
Michael Arden as Tony and Santino Fontana as Riff at Interlochen
Nick Cearley: My senior year at Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Ohio, I played Tony in West Side Story. Wish I still had that suit. I remember the orchestra department started learning the score a year in advance.
Hunter Ryan Herdlicka: Me as Cornelius in Hello Dolly!
Elena Ricardo: Thanks for making me quit gymnastics, Mrs. Stadler. Without you, Mr. McNaughton and Mrs. Coheley challenging me each year with some of these incredible characters, I would have never known what I was capable of.
Michael Arden and Alexandra Silber: Is that Michael Arden and Al Silber as Charlie Brown and Lucy? Yep. 5 cents please.
Courtney Reed: As Rizzo!
Courtney Reed: As Rizzo!
Meredith Patterson: Senior year at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, CA. I played Christina Calveri in Amadeus. Our school definitely did obscure plays and musicals. This was fun and I loved that our school was so forward thinking.
Meredith Patterson: I begged the school to make me the Leading Player in Pippin, even though it was normally played by a man, so they costumed me like Madonna from her Blonde Ambition Tour days.
Lauren Worsham: Untitled Community Theatre playing an Imaginary Friend jumping out of a box. I can't for the life of me remember the name of this odd little musical. I came out of a toy box and on opening night I got my sequined tails caught on a nail. I just ripped them off and kept singing. I was nine.
Lauren Worsham: Middle School production of Beauty and the Beast at Hill Country Middle School in Austin, TX. This was an odd straight-play version. I played an ugly step sister and had a blast doing so.
Lauren Worsham: Sarah Brown in a High School Production of Guys and Dolls at Westlake High School in Austin, TX. I was an ambitious high school senior. I not only played the part of Sarah Brown but I also co-directed and choreographed the entire musical. Ha! Pretty crazy. I think this was my first on-stage kiss. My mother made my costume for me. It was beautiful.
Benjamin Walker and Alexandra Silber: I don't know *what* is happening here, but I do know that Ben Walker and I are getting out some aggression during Miracle Worker rehearsals at Interlochen.
Brynn O'Malley: Into the Woods. Saline High School. Saline, MI, 1998. I mean... if you know me at all... you know I was losing my MIND getting to do this show for the first time in High School. I used to sleep beneath an 8x10 glossy of Stephen Sondheim. Honestly, it was a really good production. I've played the Baker's Wife twice since then but I think I worked out 70% of that character on the Saline High School stage. I still can't believe we pulled off the full production as well as we did in a public school. Also, all the props you see were purchased by my mom. And I was completely in love with my Baker.
Brynn O'Malley: The Music Man. My big sister, Meghann, became the most supportive person of my career somewhere between the application of our "stage" makeup and the taking of this picture. This was my first time playing a big part and it would've been my last if she hadn't been so encouraging and boosterish. Incidentally, she made one helluva Grecian Urn.
Tom Kitt: In rehearsal for the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods. It was one of the most important experiences of my life. Performing in the show was one of the early moments that inspired me to become a writer for theatre.
Tom Kitt: Me as The Wolf
Betsy Struxness: When I worked at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO.
Cheyenne Jackson: Performing in Li'l Abner at age 16.
Chilina Kennedy: In high school as Anne of Green Gables
Chilina Kennedy: As Rose in Bye Bye Birdie
Christopher Sieber: In 1985, this production of Hello, Dolly! at Forest Lake Senior High
Danny Gardner: performing "Leaning on a Lamppost" from the 1999 Reading High School production of Me and My Girl.
Lauren Pritchard: as Annie
Josh Young: As Herman in Sweet Charity
Josh Young: As Padre in Man of La Mancha
