'High School Musical 2 Jr.' Opens In Moorestown Wednesday Night

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Moorestown Theater Company's (MTC) summer season continues with “Disney’s High School Musical 2, Jr.” this week. It is the second of five summer shows, all of which take place at Hope Community Church, 235 West Main Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057.

“Disney’s High School Musical 2, Jr.” opens on Wednesday, July 11, 7 p.m. There will be five more shows over the course of the ensuing two days. Mike Franz is making his musical directing debut. He was an assistant director on “High School Musical 1” and “Willy Wonka” with MTC last year. He also handled the stage combat scenes for “West Side Story.”

Franz has a bachelor’s in acting and directing, and a master’s from Villanova. He is pursuing his doctorate in theater from Florida State University. He would like to teach and direct on the college and university level, while continuing to work with children and teenagers in the summer. Before coming to MTC for the last two summers, he worked with Mainstage Center for the Arts in Gloucester Township.

He said anyone coming to this week’s performances can expect something different from the movie.

“Our writers and production team added their own flavor,” said Franz, who will also work on “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Newsies” with MTC later this summer.

This is the only show Franz is scheduled to direct for MTC this summer at this time. It is the second time MTC will perform “High School Musical 2.” The other was back in 2009, when nearly 100 performers came out at the height of the musical's popularity, according to MTC Artistic Director Mark Morgan.

Show times for Thursday and Friday are as follows:

• Thursday, July 12: 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and
• Friday, July 13: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

• “What Time Is It?”;
• “Fabulous”;
• “You Are The Music In Me”;
• “I Don’t Dance”; and
• “All For One.”

A 53-member cast will present the second story of “Troy,” “Gabriella,” “Ryan,” “Sharpay,” “Chad,” “Taylor,” “Martha,” “Zeke,” “Kelsey,” and the rest of the “Wildcats.”

Tickets are reserved and can be bought online at moorestowntheatercompany.org, or in the lobby 60 minutes before curtain time. The theater will open 30 minutes before curtain time. Call MTC at 856-778-8357 with any questions or to get group rates.

The attached flyer was posted on moorestowntheatercompany.org.