National spotlight falls on Chaffey High

Musical at school is totally cool

By Diana Sholley, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 07/31/2007 11:59:01 PM PDT

ONTARIO - David Masterson lives by a simple philosophy: "If you are really good at what you do, you don't have to stand on the street corner and yell it out or tell anybody."

It's the reason that Masterson, the chairman of the Chaffey High School theater department, and partner Dave Billman don't enter their productions into contests, competitions or any other kind of one-upmanship events.

However, Masterson wasn't privy to the conspiracy growing in his own home.

In mid-May, USA Weekend magazine, a national publication inserted in 600 newspapers including the Daily Bulletin, was looking for the best high school musical to name Showstopper of 2007.

With the help of his mother, Lisa Masterson, Jonathan Espinoza, 18, submitted playbills, media coverage, a personal letter to USA Weekend, DVDs of past Chaffey productions, as well as their 2007 entry of "The Music Man."

"I really had to do this," said Jonathan, David Masterson's stepson and a member of Chaffey's theater program all through high school.

But he wasn't the first to think of it.

As soon as the ad came out, a parent of a student in the program asked David Masterson if she could enter Chaffey in the magazine's national search.

Masterson recalled that he told the well-meaning mom, "I'd rather you wouldn't."

She didn't, and Masterson never thought much more about it.

Jonathan used a different approach - he didn't ask. When Jonathan heard that Chaffey was chosen as one of the five finalists, he figured it was time to come clean. He told his stepdad what he had done, unsure of his reaction.

"I was very proud of him," Masterson said.

Jonathan's letter explains that production costs are in the thousands. Last year's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" ran about $49,000, while this year's "The Music Man" a mere $29,000.

"The amazing thing about our program at Chaffey is that we are totally financially independent and self-sufficient," he wrote. "Not a dime of taxpayers' money goes toward our extracurricular program."

But even with professional- quality sets, incredible special effects and amazing student talent housed in the magnificent Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium, Masterson still was ambivalent about Chaffey's chances.

He bashfully admitted thinking, "We're not going to win this thing. There are private schools entered and magnet schools and theater schools."

And this local "David" beat them all.

"It was the quality from their program to the show," said Jack Curry, executive editor of USA Weekend magazine. "In (Jonathan's) letter there was an enthusiasm and it was clear (Chaffey High School) has a commitment to theater."

Curry said he was elated with the overall quality of entries, but Chaffey's submission of "The Music Man" was a cut above.

"When it comes to these well-known classics, most people will try to re-create the show or the movie, but in (Chaffey's) production there was a lot that was original and inventive," Curry said. "The whole caliber of their performance was quite high. Their show looks like a million- dollar show. They should be quite proud of themselves."

It was Curry's idea to shine the spotlight on high school musicals. He said he's aware that when cutbacks occur, extras such as music and theater usually suffer. However, musical theater is a big part of the high school experience for many students.

Disney's Emmy-award winning "High School Musical," released January 2006, showed the popularity of high school musicals.

"We thought it would be great to give national recognition for something kids do for fun," he said.

Chaffey will be the focus of a full-page feature story in the magazine that comes out the weekend of Aug. 10. The school will also be presented with a trophy from USA Weekend sometime this fall.

The competition coordinates with Disney's release of "High School Musical 2," and the studio has invited about 120 Chaffey High School students, staff and parents to its red-carpet screening a few nights before it premieres Aug. 17 on The Disney Channel.

Ontario Mayor Paul Leon is a regular in the Chaffey audience and - once in a while - on stage.

"When you think of the definition of a high school play, well, you think 'high school play,' but that's not Chaffey," Leon said. "They are darn-near professional. There is no comparison between what I've seen from other schools and what they produce."

Leon said he is not surprised Chaffey received this honor.

"It validates what I've been saying for the past three years, that Ontario has the best drama department in the world," Leon boasted.

Though the mayor's accolades may only reach the locals, come Aug. 12 the nation will know. That Sunday Chaffey will grace the cover of USA Weekend magazine going out to 23 million homes across the country.

Staff writer Diana Sholley can be reached by e-mail at d_sholley@dailybulletin.com, or by phone at (909) 483-9381.