Bess O'Brien: Making The Vermont High School Musical!

Movie musicals are back in style! They seem to be everywhere, so why not make one in Vermont? As a long time independent film producer I wanted to create an original musical that was entertaining but also tackled some of the most pressing issues in teenager's lives. Of course, the last time I was in high school was in the late 1970's - I needed to jump into the trenches and find out what kids today were going through. My co-writer Abby Paige and I began by interviewing more than 1000 Vermont teens from many diverse backgrounds. Listening to kids telling their stories of struggle, perseverance and overcoming the odds was inspirational. Whether it was talking to boys at the "Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center" -- a lock down unit -- or speaking to kids of color living in the whitest state in the union (Vermont), or hanging out with farm kids discussing the dilemma of whether to stay on the farm or go to college-- these authentic stories provided a rich backdrop for the script and created a ... (link)