Disney’s iconic “High School Musical” has been inspiring tweens and teens for 20 years and so when it was announced that Riverton High School’s fall play would be the stage version, students were excited. But no one was more thrilled than junior Carlos Boscan.

Boscan, originally from Venezuela, watched the movie “High School Musical” to get an idea of what to expect when his family decided to move from Panama to the United States two years ago.

“Right after I watched that movie, I was like, ‘I gotta experience that,’” he said. “I love that musical. I really hope they start singing during lunch and everything.”

Even though no one has burst into song in the lunchroom (yet), Boscan has become enthusiastically entrenched in Riverton High School’s drama department. He didn’t take to the stage immediately because he was still learning English, but once he saw the school’s performance of “Hadestown” (which he saw three times) last fall, he knew he wanted to be involved.

“When I saw those people singing their hearts out and feeling it and seeing the choreography and everything, I was like, ‘Yep, that's what I watched. That's the high school experience that I want to live,’” Boscan said.

The announcement that this year’s musical, his first, would be “High School Musical” seemed to be fate.

“I fell in love with theater, and the year when I started doing theater, they choose “High School Musical”—it was such great timing,” he said. “I'm just so glad to be a part of it. I am enjoying every single second of it, and I'm so grateful for everything, seriously, everything—even though those are hard choreographies.”

Boscan puts his whole effort into playing the role of basketball player and baker Zeke Baylor and said, “I feel like my life is complete with doing “High School Musical.””

January marks the 20th anniversary of the debut of “High School Musical.” Director Clin Eaton said he chose the show because of the anniversary but also because he wanted a production with fun dance numbers and an upbeat storyline that contrasted with last year’s grim “Hadestown.” 

Eaton promises audiences a fun show with confetti cannons and a seven-minute mega mix party finale. The Saturday matinee show will be a sing-a-long. Even Jordan School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Godfrey and Riverton High School Principal Rochelle Waite join in the fun with voice cameos.

Senior Carter Reid, who plays the lead role of Troy Bolton, said the show will be fun for both actors and audience members.

“The energy that comes with a Disney show—the audience comes in and they love it already so they give it great energy—and then the dancing—it's iconic, and it's energetic,” Reid said.

Reid said despite its age, the show’s storyline about teen cliques is still a fairly accurate portrayal of the high school experience.

“I think it's over-exaggerated, for sure—to the point of humor—but kind of, yeah, everyone has their own groups,” he said.

While Reid wasn’t familiar with the movie until the play was announced, most of the other theater students were already fans.

“I have the most vivid memory watching it with my older sisters,” Mari Barlow, who plays the lead role of Gabriela, said. “I think I was third grade-ish when they introduced it to me. But it's been a staple in my household.”

She said the show’s story of teenagers struggling to break out of their labels to explore new interests and hobbies was probably the inspiration for the increased number of students (a total of 90) who auditioned for the school play, some for their first time.

“There's a lot of new faces,” Barlow said. “I think that because the “High School Musical” movie is such a well-known production on its own, it grabbed the attention of so many new kids. A lot of my friends who never considered theater, they're trying it for the first time, and they're enjoying it.”

Riverton High School presents “High School Musical”

Nov. 20, 21, 22 and 24 at 7 p.m. and a sing-a-long matinee Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 adults, $8 students/seniors, and can be purchased online or at the box office.