2022 Summer Show Announcement!!!!

The Hard Road board is excited to announce that this summer we will be producing Disney’s Descendants: The Musical! The show will be performed 8 times, over two weekends – July 14, 15, 16, 17 and July 21, 22, 23 and 24. If you don’t know anything about the show read the description at the bottom of the post (or ask your kids/grandkids!)

It is no secret that the last several years have taken a toll on live performances produced by Broadway all the way down to schools and local community theater groups. Hard Road is no exception. In addition to Covid, we have dealt with less access to familiar performance spaces and rising costs in producing shows. Thankfully, we have a community that loves live theater as well as a dedicated team of producers, directors and performers that has helped us find a way to be successful and stay on mission. As Hard Road continues to navigate this post-Covid (hopefully!) world and begins to rebuild our identity, vision and audiences we look back to the past. Over 20 years ago, Hard Road’s success in Highland was built on quality, highly entertaining shows for our community. That has never changed and it is something we pride ourselves on. Those first several years featured large summer shows with big casts of all ages. This summer, as we regain some of our lost momentum we’re going back to our roots! What that means is that Descendants isn’t just a kids show! We’re opening the auditions up to anyone who has finished FIRST grade or older!

These villain kids need some adult supervision, right? Throughout the years, we’ve had parents say, “These kids are having so much fun! It would be a hoot to be up there with them!” Maybe they were just blowing smoke, but now we’re calling their bluff! We’re hoping that some parents of our Hard Road kid performers will audition for the show too and share the stage with their children and their talents with the community this summer! And even if you aren’t a parent of a kid in the show, but think this sounds like a fun show, we invite you to audition!

One other piece of business. For over 10 years the kid’s summer show has grown and blossomed under the direction of Gentry Fifer and her amazing team. We’re giving Gentry this summer off – to rest, relax and enjoy some well deserved down time – to recharge her batteries (so she’s back in a director’s seat next summer!). We can’t thank her enough for her hard work and dedication over the last 10 summers (and hopefully many more in the future!). Don’t worry, you’ll still see her around this summer in various roles and capacities. She continues to be a dedicated and tireless member of the Hard Road board, helping to guide us into our next chapter of success!

Which leads me to my next piece of news! The Hard Road Board is thrilled to announce that we will have an alum from the Hard Road stage, Haylie Gombos on board as the director of this summer’s show. She comes to Hard Road with tons of experience on the stage as well as behind the scenes as well. Over the last several months she has been assembling a team of new and familiar faces for this summer’s production. We can’t wait to work with her vision and leadership in making Descendants: The Musical! another Hard Road summer hit!

It is the hope and vision of our Board, that over the next several seasons we can build on our successes and expand our summer season to once again include several shows. That at some point in the near future we can reintroduce fall and winter shows, so that Highland has the opportunity to see high-quality, live performances all year long!

QUICK DETAILS

Show Dates
July 14, 15, 16, 17 and July 21, 22, 23 and 24.

AGE RANGE FOR THE SHOW
Who can try out? Anyone who has finished 1st grade up to 100+ years old! So basically anyone older than a first grader! 😉

AUDITIONS:
Weekend of May 14 & 15
More info COMING SOON! We are still working on the details – where? when? and how auditions with be structured?, etc… Stay tuned to our FB page and website for updates in the coming weeks!

ABOUT THE SHOW
It is present-day, and in the kingdom of Auradon, all of Disney’s beloved heroes and royalty are living happily ever after, safe from the terrifying villains and troublesome sidekicks they have banished to the magic-free Isle of the Lost. That is until Ben, the benevolent teenage son of Belle and King Adam (The Beast), offers a chance of redemption for the troublemaking offspring of the evilest villains. Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos – the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, and Jafar – are welcomed to Auradon Prep to attend school with the children of their parents’ sworn enemies. Now entering a completely foreign world and way of life, the four Villain Kids have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good?