A ts & Entertainment

Graduating To The Stage

The touring version
of Disney Channel's
Emmy-winning
High School Musical
plays the Fisher.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

A

personal commitment intro-
duced Arielle Jacobs to
Michigan, but a professional
commitment brings her back.
Jacobs stars as Gabriella in the new
touring stage production of High School
Musical — a sweet, squeaky-clean story
about a jock (Troy, the basketball star)
and a brainiac (Gabriella, the shy transfer
student) who both secretly harbor a desire
to audition for their high-school musical.
Jacobs has visited with the family of her
boyfriend, Michael Babel, who is from
Grosse Pointe.
As she performs June 26-July 7 at
Detroit's Fisher Theatre, he will be teach-
ing theater arts in Tanzania as part of the
International Theatre & Literacy Project.
Jacobs, who met Babel while living in
New York, hopes people of all ages will
see the energy-filled production — as it
begins two years of bookings around the
country. The High School Musical jugger-
naut continues to blossom when the origi-
nal movie sequel, High School Musical 2,
airs on the Disney Channel in August and
High School Musical: The Ice Tour starts
playing in arenas in September.
"Some people expect this to be a kids'
show, but so many adults see us afterward
and rave about having the best time
says Jacobs. "I hope people in Detroit will
come with an open mind and just enjoy
themselves."
Jacobs, 23, who opened the show in
Atlanta and appeared in Pittsburgh,
explains that the musical is about young
people finding out who they are and push-
ing back against boundaries imposed by
others. Studious Gabriella and athletic
Troy audition for the school show and
connect with each other despite the dis-
couragement of classmates.
"The character is like me — not that I'm
a genius but that I'm a very quiet person:'

42 June 21 • 2007

says Jacobs, who spends free time reading,
watching movies and practicing yoga.
"When Gabriella starts to sing, it opens
up a world into a new kind of expres-
sion for her, and I feel like that really is
the same for me. When I'm onstage and
singing, magic happens, and I'm able to
express emotions that I never would be
able to speak."
Jacobs' family was living in San
Francisco when she was 7 and asked to
take voice lessons. Her teacher also had
a performance troupe for children, and
Jacobs participated, finding that she liked
acting. She decided to move on to commu-
nity theater projects.
"I really had wanted to be a pop singer
like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston,
and I studied at the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music and at the
Westminster Conservatory at Princeton.
When I went to New York University, I
majored in musical theater and graduated
in 2005."
During the summers, in between college
semesters, Jacobs won roles in regional
theaters, appearing in Cinderella, Rose
of Corazon and Destination to the Stars.
Community theaters chose her for Babes
in Arms, Ragtime and Camelot.
"My dad's mom, Estelle Chaison, was
a cabaret singer;' Jacobs says about her
musical heritage. "She was hired as a back-
up singer for the Tommy Dorsey Band, but
her mother would not let her go.
"Although my grandmother did some
Arielle Jacobs as Gabriella Montez and John Jeffrey Martin as Troy Bolton
theater after that, she feels that she was
in Disney's High School Musical
held back from really accomplishing her
dream; but she gets satisfaction with what
I'm doing."
The same grandmother also has given
young than it is in theater in New York."
but it's been rearranged so it's more of an
Jacobs a sense of her religious heritage.
Jacobs likes to joke that she is respon-
ensemble piece. You hear Gabriella's point
"My father is Jewish, but my mother
sible for family theater achievements
of view, but you also hear Troy's point of
is not:' Jacobs explains. "I wasn't raised
beyond her own.
view.
Jewish, but I did attend Passover seders
"When I was taking voice lessons, I got
"You also get to hear the rest of the
and other holiday events with my dad's
my brother, Adam, to take them as well:'
cast members express how the [high
side of the family.
Jacobs says. "He's now starring in Les
school musical] experience has been
"My grandmother showed me how to
Miserables on Broadway, and I totally take
affecting them at the same time. It's
make kugel, and I've asked the Passover
credit for his career."
really powerful."
Four Questions because I was the young-
True to her original stage interests,
est in the family"
Jacobs particularly enjoys singing in her
High School Musical runs June 26-
Two years ago, Jacobs moved from New
present role.
July
7 at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
York to Los Angeles. When she was in col-
"I really love the music," she says. "It's
Show
times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-
lege, she did independent film work and
fun to sing and dance to it, and everybody
Fridays,
2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays
commercials and thought she would find
just gets excited when they hear it. I espe-
and
1
and
6:30 p.m. Sundays. There
more of the same near Hollywood.
cially like the new arrangement of 'When
also
will
be
1 p.m. matinees July 3 and
"I wanted to pursue film opportunities
There Was Me & You.'
5.
There
will
be no show July 4. $28-
while I'm still on the younger side,' she says.
"In the movie, the song was more of a
$71.
(313)
871-1132.
"In Los Angeles, it's more important to be
solo about Troy performed by Gabriella,