Rock 'n' Roll High School?
I've always been guiltily familiar with tabloid culture, and quick to concede the merits of The O.C. and the cross-generational appeal of Mean Girls. However, in my old age, I've apparently fallen slightly out of the loop: though Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens regularly appear in lavish photo spreads in all of my favorite gossip rags, I remain unsure about exactly what stellar performances have caused their recent visibility. As everyone else has apparently long known, Efron and Hudgens made it big in High School Musical, an incredibly high-grossing and engrossing flick about teen cliques. The Turners Falls-based Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts has adopted the hit musical for the stage, directed and choreographed by Kimberly Waynelovich. The spectacle features performances from 50 local aspiring teen and tween stars. Don't miss the last few shows of the season.
February 22-23, 7 p.m., Feb. 24, 2 p.m., $10-12, The Shea Theater, 71 Ave. A., Turners Falls, (413) 863-2281, www.jaduke.com.
