The production, which debuts on April 8, follows the story of the first High School Musical movie, which still has a huge fan base despite being released 16 years ago.

One of the stars of the show is Reese Hamilton, who will be playing Gabriella.

Ms Hamilton, who went to Kurri Kurri High School, is no stranger to performing.

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She has performed in productions of Annie and Beauty and The Beast, secured the lead in Seussical the Musical in 2015, performed in the ensemble of Dr Dolittle and Opera Hunter's The Sound of Music.

Ms Hamilton said she is very excited to get back on stage again.

"I took a break from performing after The Sound of Music in 2018, while I did my HSC," she said.

"I spend a lot of time working back stage and as part of the tech crew, and although I love those roles, I definitely prefer to be on stage.

"I am really looking forward to performing again, especially with such an incredible cast."

Angie Ussher, director of the show and president at Maitland Musical Society, said she chose High School Musical Jr because it's a fun show that appeals to a lot of different ages.

"We've got people who grew up with the movie and parents as well, plus it's now coming through again [with the Disney+ series]. The kids still love the music even though it's nearly 20 years old," she said.

The show runs from Friday, April 8 to Sunday, April 10 for four shows at Maitland Pro-Cathedral (2 Church Street.)

Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased online here.

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