Jocelyn DeLaRosa, of Cranston High School East, plays Gabriella in Disney’s High School Musical.

The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch

A crew from the Disney Channel will be in Cranston tomorrow, taping a student production of High School Musical. But you can catch the show, which is a joint effort between Cranston’s two high schools, all this weekend.

The project was made possible in part by a $10,000 grant from the Disney Channel and the National Association of Music Merchants for schools that want to stage the popular Disney show.

Nancy Vitulli, head of the theater department at Cranston High School West, where the performances take place, thought it would be a nice idea to include students from rival Cranston High School East in the production. One of the hit songs from the show, after all, is “We’re All in This Together.” A camera crew from Disney will spend the day interviewing students, taping warm-ups and then the show. Footage from the shoot will be used for promotional spots on the Disney Channel, said Vitulli.

High School Musical has been a huge smash since it first aired on the Disney Channel in January 2006. It is performed by high school theater programs everywhere and has spawned two sequels. (A third, High School Musical 4, is in the works.)

The show is about popular jock Troy Bolton, whose secret passion is to take part in his high school musical. In this weekend’s production, Troy will be played by Cranston West senior Brendan Macera. Cranston East sophomore Jocelyn DeLaRosa plays his girlfriend, math whiz Gabriella Montez.

Some 60 students from the two schools will be onstage for the show, and another 35 will make up the tech crew.

While $10,000 might sound like a lot of money for a student production, Vitulli said it will cover only about half the budget for the show. She said the first $5,000 of the grant will go to cover licensing fees, and the other $5,000 will cover the cost of renting lights. Fundraising efforts on the part of a parent group will also help defray costs, along with box office receipts.

Performances take place tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Cranston High School West, 80 Metropolitan Ave. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Call (401) 944-5551.

cgray@projo.com