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And the winner is ....
Hundreds of you entered our first national show search. Now, meet our favorites.
By Brian Truitt
After poring over more than 700 entries and mail bins full of programs, photos and newspaper clippings to find our HSM USA WEEKEND Showstopper, we've decided that there is more than just trouble in River City. When it comes to Chaffey High School in Ontario, Calif., there's a whole lot of talent, as well.
The school's spring production of Meredith Willson's classic, The Music Man, is the HSM USA WEEKEND Showstopper of 2007, topping high-level productions from all over the country. In his HSM packet, the show's star, Jonathan Espinoza, submitted materials that included set schematics, a history of Chaffey's storied Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium and a slide show of photographs. A 3,500-student school with a predominantly Hispanic population, Chaffey was more known for its sports than its theater program until drama teachers David Masterson and David Billman joined the school 10 years ago. Since then, the two have expanded the fan base from parents to community members, Girl Scout troops and even the mayor of Ontario.
But the first-ever HSM USA WEEKEND Showstopper almost wasn't.
As Harold Hill -- the charismatic con man who comes to River City, Iowa, to sell band equipment to musically challenged boys -- Espinoza knew he had been a part of something special his senior year. And he knew that Masterson (who is also his stepfather) wouldn't enter the show in a program to find the best high school musical in America. So, throwing caution to the wind, Espinoza decided to enter his school's production on his own after seeing USA WEEKEND Magazine in his local Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. He was smart about it, not telling his stepdad until after graduation, fearing that Masterson might be upset.
What could he do, ground him? "I don't know, maybe a quick slap on the hand or something?" Espinoza, 18, jokes. "He has a very humble personality. If you come to San Bernardino County, you'll never really hear, 'Oh my gosh! Chaffey!' because we don't compete, and we don't scream our name on the street corner."
They don't need to. We're doing it for them.
This week, the school's cast and crew members will receive complimentary Disneyland tickets and attend the premiere of "High School Musical 2," and afterward, Espinoza's family is invited to a private pool party with the movie's stars.
Zac Efron might want to keep an eye on his teen heartthrob status: Espinoza has dreams of an acting career. But first he'll attend Cal State-Fullerton this fall, where he plans to study business.
And in December, again under Masterson and Billman's direction, Chaffey will be the first in the world to perform a musical adaptation of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." This time, with a shiny Showstopper trophy proudly on display.
For more on Chaffey High School's theater program, visit its web site at
www.chsthespians.com.
Issue Date: August 12, 2007
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The search begins again in the Spring: Enter next year!
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