Broadcast since March 13 on NBC, RISE, is THE new musical series of the moment. Created by Jason Katims, to whom we also owe Roswell, this drama series follows the daily life of Stanton High School, which will be turned upside down following the reshuffle of the theater department.
Warning: SPOILERS in the article.
The starting pitch
The series takes place in Pennsylvania, in the popular high school: "Stanton High". Lou Mazzuchelli, a dedicated literature teacher, is on a mission to revive the high school's theater department before it disappears. For this he decided to mount the famous musical "Spring Awakening", which addresses the subject of the discovery of sexuality in adolescents. This choice of musical comedy and that of the members of the troupe, will not be without consequences and will upset the life of the high school and the community of Stanton.
The series is based on Michael Sokolove's book "Drama High". The book tells the true story of Professor Lou Volpe and the drama program he developed at Harry S High School. Truman, Pennsylvania.
A fresh and talented cast
Among the main actors of the series is Josh Radnor a.k.a Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother. He is back on the small screen in the role of Lou Mazzuchelli, a literature teacher and devoted family man who wants to have a real impact in the lives of his students with his production of "Spring Awakening".
Marley Shelton, seen in Mad Men, plays the role of his wife in the series – Gail Mazzuchelli – also a teacher. And Rosie Perez that of Tracey Wolfe, another Stanton High professor who should have received the direction of the theater department but who will have to content herself with assisting Lou in her mission. Rosie is best known for her role in the film State Second , which earned her an Oscar nomination in 1994.
Auli'i Cravalho plays the role of Lilette Suarez, a discreet young high school student who dreams of a better life than her mother and who gets one of the title roles in the musical. You may have never seen Auli'i on screen, but you have probably already heard her wonderful voice because she plays the character of "Vaiana" in the original version of the film ("Moana") and who interprets the title "How Far I'll go".
At his side, we find Damon J. Gillespie who plays Robbie Thorne, the adulated quarterback of the high school football team who is forced to join the troupe before finding any real interest.
Also in the cast, Amy Forsyth, she plays Gwen Strickland, the daughter of the coach accustomed to leading roles in high school productions but who will have to be done when Lilette arrives. You could see the actress in the series The Path, Channel Zero and Defiance.
We also see in the series: Shannon Purser, in the role of Annabelle, who is now very well known for having played the roles of Barb(ara) Holland in Stranger Things and Ethel Muggs in Riverdale.
A set of actors more or less known, which brings a wave of freshness to the screen. Auli'i, Damon, Amy and Ted Sutherland (who plays the talented Simon Saunders) are the main "voices" of the series and show us from the first episodes that they can sing and that they have earned their place in Rise.
A series between GLEE and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS?
Before its release, the series was compared a lot to Glee, the series of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that launched Léa Michele and Friday Night Lights the series of Peter Berg with Kyle Chandler. Indeed, we find in the scenario some similarities with Glee : a teacher (Lou) who tries to revive the theater department of the high school; a quarterback (Robbie) who has more to share than his excellent athletic performance and who could live a romantic story with his partner in the troupe (Lilette); Characters sometimes bad in their skin, who will be able to assert themselves thanks to their experience in the troupe. And it is in the way Rise is made and filmed that we can see a parallel with Friday Night Lights. The creator of Rise, Jason Katims, also worked on FNL.
So you will find a little of these two series in Rise, but it still manages to distinguish itself. The series has a more dramatic tone and much less zany than Glee. Also, don't expect the members of the Rise troupe to sing the latest trendy musical hits. The songs are mostly from the musical "Spring Awakening" and are sung on the stage of the high school auditorium. In addition, the members of the Glee club had taken a while to really accept each other, while in Rise, the high school students seem to form a united group by the end of the first episode. And unlike Friday Night Lights, American football, although an important subject of the series, is not at the center of the story.
A very satisfying start to the season
Season 1 is expected to have 10 episodes. The first episode quickly gives an overview of the lives of the characters and their status. We quickly get attached to some of them, including Simon Saunders and Maashous Evers. The first in his conflict between his desire to do the show and his duty to his family; the second when it is discovered that he is secretly living in the high school to avoid his host family. But this first episode evolves a little too quickly, and at the end of the episode, the whole troupe is already united behind Lou, rehearsals are already well underway and the show is on its way. The threats that will present themselves to the troupe are for the most part already well identified (the coach, the problem of the budget, the parents who are against the chosen musical etc.) and are confirmed from episodes 2 and 3. We almost expect to see the first performance at the end of the episode.
And we can still note that there are some clichés in the profiles of some characters (such as Gordy, Lou's son) and in the story of the series.
Nevertheless, we appreciate the 'singers' of the series and their real talent as well as the soundtrack of the series which is very pleasant (and which also has a little Friday Night Lights side). The actors of the series are up to their roles and make us want to continue watching it to see the characters and their relationships evolve. So this is a very satisfying and promising start if you want to watch an entertaining and dramatic musical series. We hope that the rest of the season will bring some unexpected twists.
To be continued until the end!
