Two new high school musicals arrived in 2006. 

One show was conceived and written by teens, with a score written by teen composers and lyricists, songs about fresh topics, and a story that says something important about teen life in the digital age.  That show was performed at the Theater Lab of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by a cast featuring award-winning high school students.  This musical was praised by USA Today as “downright creative… taking I-M-ing to stage (in a) clash between net-savvy students and the technophobic adults who run their high school”… by Arch Campbell of WRC-4, the Washington area’s leading theater critic, as “hilarious… a wonderful show,”… by the Washington Post as “tech savvy… teen savvy… not the time-worn story of high school crushes and clique wars,”… and by the Los Angeles Times as having “all the makings of a cult classic…”   

The other show is, well,…  As an on-line blogger named “DaBuffMovieBuff” put it, after seeing both shows:  ..."Disney, you're gonna let high-school writers show you up???"

We invite anyone thinking of presenting a high school musical to compare the CDs and DVDs of both shows.  Ask yourself:  Which songs are on fresher topics (and have better music)?  Which characters are more fun and original?  Which cast list has more diverse, intriguing, and challenging roles?  Which story departs from the usual conventions one sees in youth musicals—and addresses issues that are actually on the minds of today’s students? 

Answer those questions, and you’ll see why theater critic Arch Campbell said that “the high school musical may never be the same after Edit:Undo.”

The 39-student cast of Edit:Undo featured “lead actor/actress” Cappie winners from Baltimore, Broward and Palm Beach Counties (FL), Cincinnati, Dallas, El Paso, Melbourne (FL), Orange County (CA), Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.  The cast recorded a CD and DVD, both of which will be released in late September.  Downloads will soon be available for purchase on www.burnlounge.com.  To put your name on a list to receive an email when CDs, DVDs, and digital downloads are available, please email editundo@cappies.com.  

The script and score are available for school productions.  

We invite you to learn more about the show by going to www.editundo.org.  Read articles about the show in USA Today, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

To learn more about Cappies International Theater, and how it features American and Canadian student playwrights, composers, and award-winning high school performers, click here.