PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Double the excitement is in the air at Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School in Palm Beach County as students prepare for their second round of a bilingual production of "High School Musical".
The production will feature two performances at the same time— one in English and the other live in Spanish by students positioned in press boxes above the stage.
WATCH: Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School theater students work hard to produce bilingual 'High School Musical' show
Freshman Sofia Rodriguez told WPTV reporter Victor Jorges that she appreciated this opportunity to share this experience with her mother, who primarily speaks Spanish.
"I'm very excited, and I'm sure she will love it too," Rodriguez told Jorges in Spanish.
Senior Evan Paggi, performing in English, said the effort was doubled to make sure everything was timed out correctly between the two ensembles.
"It's nice being able to have everyone understand exactly what you are trying to convey," Paggi said.
Theater Director Jason Zembuch Young said the idea was rooted in the school's diverse community, where many students come from Spanish-speaking homes.
"[Guests] are able to actually simultaneously follow the action on the play," Young said.
Rodriguez said that participating in this bilingual program has helped her improve her English skills and connect with others.
This unique experience also involved the collaboration of the Latinos in Action teacher, Daleen Torres-Muniz, and visiting teacher Aurora Melendreras from Spain, who worked to adapt the original script in a way that maintained its humor and cultural relevance.
"It's funny because sometimes they have jokes in English that we need to find the right vocabulary to translate so people understand the joke," Torres-Muniz said.
The school has made available 34 Spanish translation earpieces for guests. Initially installed to assist hard-of-hearing patrons, these headsets will now be used to also accommodate translations.
"High School Musical" will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in celebration of Mother's Day.
