The saga continued at Boothbay Region High School's production of High School Musical II, where the students from East High were all getting ready for the summer. Troy Bolton, played by Camden Spear, is stressing over finding a job to save up for college. When Sharpay Evans, played by Gretchen Elder (and AnnieLyn MacKusick during the matinee performances) gets wind of this, she gets the manager of the country club her father owns to hire him.

Troy, in turn, gets jobs at the club, known as Lava Springs, for all the other students looking for jobs, including his girlfriend Gabriella Montez, played by Sierra Murray. This causes Sharpay a great deal of dismay, and leads to her weaving an ever more deceptive web than in the original musical in an effort to manipulate the circumstances and have Troy for herself. It backfires in a spectacular way.

Many students in HSM II reprise their roles from the original cast, including Spear, Murray, Elder, ReAnna Heino, Draco Peaslee, Victoria Morin and more. Also reprising his role as director was 2008 BRHS graduate Christopher Holmes, with music direction by Mary Miller.

“The kids did amazing,” Holmes said after the performance on Friday, Nov. 20. “I'm very proud of them and have enjoyed again working with such a dedicated group.”

The entire cast did a fantastic job of coming together and playing their roles. Zachary Blackman, who plays the stoic Mr. Fulton, manager of Lava Springs, plays the perfect straight man, never cracking a smile during his scenes. When he tells Troy and Chad Danforth (played by Gabe Purin) that they have been requested as caddies, and Chad says he would caddy for Godzilla at $50 a bag, Blackman delivers his line of “Close. Very close,” with perfect timing. They are caddying for Sharpay and Ryan (played by Hayden Brewer) Evans, naturally.

The banter between Chad and Ryan during the musical number “I don't dance” is amazing, and Purin got one of the loudest cheers of the evening at his impressive dance moves on stage.

Elder's portrayal of Sharpay, which was excellent in the spring, has gotten even better with the perfect portrayal of egotism and spite delivered in every line. Backed up by her “Sharpettes” at the country club (Violet, played by Annie Bryer, Peaches, played by Cassidy Jones, and Blossom, played by Allison Simmons), her diva personality goes full-bore until she is brought crashing down to earth, caught in one of her own schemes.

The emotional intensity brought to the roles of Gabriella and Troy, especially in the duet of “Gotta Go My Own Way” and solo of “Bet On It” hint at a future in theater for both Murray or Spear, should they choose to pursue it. And all the other performers create a perfect backdrop, each one thrown fully into their role including ReAnna Heino as Taylor McKessie, Draco Peaslee as Zeke Baylor, Marissa Farnham as Martha Cox, Nicholas Labonte as Jack Scott, Victoria Morin as Kelsi Nielsen, Emery Lorrain as Corgi Ivans, Mason Erhard as Brian Ivans, and the Wildcats ensemble of Erica Eames, Emery Lorrain, Larisa Greenleaf, Elijah Gudroe and Lisa Palowski.

Several students worked on lights, sound and set construction, including Max Hoecker, Devin Cromwell and Devyn Campbell. Monica Elder worked as house manager, all the students worked on publicity, and Heather Lorrain designed the program. Special thank yous were given to Midcoast Youth Theater, Trebled Productions, Jim Buckingham, Lincoln Theater and Julie Bryer.