Encore! is the latest in a line of high school musical TV projects, genre which proved to be extremely popular with other shows like Glee and High School Musical.
Kristen Bell teamed up with Jason Cohen (Silicon Cowboys) to executive-produce this new TV special that will reunite high school musical casts from many years ago. The reunited classmates will perform their high school musical one last time. Will Gluck, director of the movie adaptation of the musical Annie, is backing the project.
Bell can’t forget her first high school musical experience, calling it a “watershed moment,” adding that it changed the way in which she experienced the world.
“I wanted to produce Encore! to help others re-experience their days on stage and re-discover the distinct bonding that comes with high school theatre,” Bell said in a statement. “Our show is about converging past dreams with present circumstances and I hope viewers can laugh and see themselves among the insurance salesman, the pregnant woman, and the rest of the classmates as they tackle Sondheim.”
The show will feature former students reprising their roles from their original production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, now under the guidance of Broadway directors, choreographers, and voice coaches. ABC has confirmed that Bell will appear in the special. This project marks the actress’s most significant undertaking as a producer.
Encore! will premiere December 10 on ABC
