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 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.
Flip through photos of their high school performances below:
What Shows Did Lin-Manuel Miranda, Laura Osnes, James Monroe Iglehart, and More Star in in High School?
What Shows Did Lin-Manuel Miranda, Laura Osnes, James Monroe Iglehart, and More Star in in High School?
Members of the theatre community shared with us photos and memories from their favorite high school productions.
73 PHOTOS
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.
