Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

You mean you haven’t seen a High Voltage show? I’ve been attending them regularly for almost 10 years. Why? Because I’ve found them more consistently and intensely entertaining than just about any other performing arts event that I’ve experienced. High Voltage is the performing troupe of the El Dorado Musical Theatre, and it’s starting its 11th season. This year the group consists of 24 young people, ages 14 to 19. (When a performer reaches age 22, they move on.) Lately, they have given 3 performances a year at Harris Center in Folsom, plus special appearances around the Sacramento area and sometimes beyond.

This afternoon’s show started with the whole company on stage in semi-darkness with an evening cityscape projected behind them as they sang “Seasons of Love” from Rent. It was an understated performance compared to what was to come, with minimal choreography as it highlighted good, 2-part and ensemble singing that showcased two of the versatile voices from the group. To see what I mean by “understated,” check out this 2-minute video of segments of a rehearsal.

(Click here to open the program in a new window.)

This opening number was followed by a departure from the pattern of previous season openers ― an introduction of each member of the group. First to take the stage was Zach (check the program for last names). As he swept around the stage in what appeared to be a series of improvised dance moves, the screen behind him displayed his name and the number of seasons he has been part of the High Voltage troupe ― 11. That means he was 9 when he started. (Currently the mandatory minimum age is 13.) Zach’s entrance was accompanied by cheers throughout the audience, which was obviously full of High Voltage fans.

Without a break in the music, other members of the company entered with their own dance moves, the screen displaying their name and number of seasons. First, they came one at a time, each getting a fresh round of cheers from the audience: Justin (7 seasons), Kyra (5 seasons), Emily F (5 seasons), Nittany (4 seasons), and Jocelyn (4 seasons). Then the members came out in groups: Justine, Emily H & Izzy ― 3 seasons); Luke, Ty, Seth & Nick ― 3 seasons; Brayden, Carson & Joey ― 2 seasons; and Daphne & Ashley S ― 2 seasons. Finally, all the first-year members were introduced: Josh, Madeline, Nina, Andrew, Cameron & Ashley W. (You can find profiles of each of these young performers on the El Dorado Musical Theatre website at this link.)

I must say I was delighted to see this new, special recognition for these hard-working kids. High Voltage is a performing troupe with no stars: there are those whose skills are showcased, sometimes in a solo or small group number, but there are no bows after a song is delivered. The stage goes dark and everyone runs off to get ready for the next number. And each show ends with lightly choreographed bows and a quick wave to the audience. That doesn’t mean they lack adequate individual recognition: I saw how all 24 performers were mobbed in the lobby after this show.

Most High Voltage performances in the past have presented 30 or more songs from almost as many Broadway musicals. This time, songs were presented in groups of three from one Broadway musical after another. And the 3-song set from each show was explained by a group of 2 or 3 High Voltage members who gave a bit of the background of the songs to help us in the audience understand the context of what we were about to see and hear.

You can scan the program to see which musicals were represented on this afternoon. Some of the numbers were solos, duets or a small-ensemble pieces, and as these were performed, I got a sense of the tremendous depth of singing talent among these young people. Some voices were clearly young but effective; yet many seemed fully mature. And one could easily imagine a professional career in the singer’s future. But more important was the way these songs were delivered. Often with the help of a few set pieces, a costume, and a projection behind them, these people didn’t just sing a song, they performed a scene, finding the real emotion in the music and presenting it in a way that we in the audience didn’t just hear it, we felt it.

This organization isn’t called “High Voltage” for nothing. The most arresting part of each of their shows is the enormous energy that erupts in many of the numbers. The first of these was “Play” from Finding Neverland. With the whole company on stage, it was a revisiting of childhood, with recollections of toys, games, fantasies, and nursery rhymes. It was fast-paced and with many incidental solos from one talented person after another ― the whole thing acted out to the accompaniment of dazzling choreography.

Of course, there were many serious, moving songs in this show, but it felt like I and my seat-mate were constantly laughing. Often it was in response to clever gestures or emphasis that flowed from the comic sense of the director or an individual performer. (A good laugh is your reward if you’re watching closely.) And often it was the lyrics or the staging of a song that brought out the humor. One example was “My Defenses Are Down” from Annie Get Your Gun. While the principals of the scene were singing, the rest of the boys entered in two lines, rocking in sync from one leg to the other, but with legs apart as if they had just gotten off their horses. It was hilarious: one of so many bits of choreography in this show that I’ve never seen before (and will probably never see again). This is just one example of the intense creativity of director, choreographer, vocal coach, and each individual performer that makes every High Voltage show seem so fresh and innovative.

I have to emphasize that it is the quality of the choreography and staging that sets a High Voltage program apart from every other “cabaret” show. There are elegant dances (as in “What You Mean to Me” from Finding Neverland) and high-energy tap routines (as in “A Musical” from Something Rotten).  And then there are examples of high-risk athleticism as in “Whipped Into Shape” from Legally Blonde which saw a stage-full of performers singing and executing complicated jump-rope routines.

I took notes as this show unfolded, and time and again my notes reported involuntary expressions of “wow” from the people around me (and from myself, to be honest). One wow-inducing number was “Day-O” from Beetlejuice. As they carried out the captivating staging of this number, the performers were singing and dancing with the jerky motions of zombies. And in a culmination of their intense performing, the scene ended with a cameo appearance by Ryan Van Overeem, a much-loved EDMT and High Voltage alumnus, as Beetlejuice himself.

Intermission was followed by a performance of the wonderfully clever number, “A Musical” from Something Rotten. What made it work so beautifully was the polished acting and articulate delivery by the principals in the number. But this was true in so many songs on this afternoon. These young people performed music that was often lyrically dense and harmonically complex. And to my ears they did it not just flawlessly, but with spirit.

I’ve gone this far without singling out a performer, but I’ll make an exception for the most senior High Voltage member, Zach Wilson. Like the other 23 young people in the company, he made important contributions to many of the songs. But “Confrontation” from Jekyll and Hyde was special. Throughout this number he alternated between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as they argued in a performance of sublime intensity. Meanwhile the lighting changed from white to red with the character change while flames were erupting in the projection behind him. I must add that the brilliant projections throughout this show were his work, the product of a talent and skill that I’ve seen evolving over the course of his young life.

The genius of the High Voltage format is that it turns loose the talent of a special group of teenagers. Some of that talent is raw and spontaneous, but mostly it is refined by years of training and committed effort. And it is channeled by the true performing arts professionals in the El Dorado Musical Theatre organization (see page 2 of the attached program). With additional technical and production support from the other key people on page 2, plus many behind the scenes, the result is a display of energy, artistry and creativity that adds up to some of the best entertainment in the Sacramento region..

Learn more about High Voltage and the El Dorado Musical Theatre from their website at this link or their Facebook page at this link.