Legendary High School Musicals

There is nothing quite like experiencing the awkward charm of high school: school sports, class dramas, cliques, and a whole lot of confusion. Maybe that is why so many high school musicals hold a special place in our hearts; they offer comfort during some of the most important years of our lives. 

So we have decided to help you relive some of the most iconic high school musicals of the modern age in all of their glory. Conflict, drama, sweetness, and amazing lessons, these shows have it all! 

Strap in as we count down some of the most legendary high school musicals of all time.

Legally Blonde

Nothing like one of the most iconic stories about overcoming yourself to start our list. The story follows Elle Woods, a young, bright sorority girl who, in an attempt to get her boyfriend back, enrolls in Harvard University’s Law School, only to find her true passion in life. 

Elle’s life at school starts a little grim, with many not taking her seriously and some teachers going so far as to dismiss her attributions in the classrooms. However, through a lot of dedication, she manages to become the lawyer of Brooke Windham, a prominent fitness instructor who has been accused of murder. By staying true to herself in the courtroom, Elle manages to have Brooke exonerated, proving herself to her teachers and ex-boyfriend.

This beautiful story has everything, from drama to romance to comedy, that will enchant your audience. To bring this story to life, use our Courthouse Exterior, which depicts a large courthouse and features concrete stairs and columns that reinforce the building’s solemn atmosphere. 

Another great option is the Wimpole Street theatrical backdrop. The iconic street displays a large home in the United Kingdom, with tall windows covering the entire facade. In front of the home is a long turnaround driveway surrounded by green bushes.

To portray Elle’s time in Harvard, our Classroom backdrop captures the struggles and charm of school life, depicting a typical schoolroom. The teacher’s desk is located on one side of the room, and behind it are two open windows. School buildings, trees, and an American flag can be seen outside. 

The University backdrop depicts a distinguished university building with a red-brick exterior. The building has a grand colonnade with six white pillars, ivy-covered walls flanking each side, and a large, concrete staircase at the front.

Lastly, create a long-lasting impression with the Sorority House Exterior backdrop, which features a brick façade and a colonnade with four pillars all painted in pink. On the pediment, the Greek symbols for “Delta” and “Nu” are inscribed, establishing that this building is the home of the Delta Nu Sorority

Mean Girls

To continue this list, we have another classic tale about becoming a better version of yourself. Mean Girls follows Cady, a girl who has just moved from Africa to Chicago and is trying her best to fit in. On her first day of high school, she meets Janis and Damian, two outcasts who immediately take her in and introduce her to The Plastics, a group of mean girls formed by Regina George, the ringleader, Gretchen, and Karen. 

After Regina takes an interest in Cady, Damian and Janis use this as an opportunity to get inside Regina’s group. Cady also falls for Aaron Sammuels, Regina’s ex-boyfriend. As they become closer, Cady can see through Regina’s antics, but also feels compelled to follow along and quickly becomes obsessed with taking her status.

To begin staging this amazing story, use our Africa theatrical backdrop, which includes the sun front and center. The yellow sphere is framed by silhouettes of acacia trees and a rolling landscape painted in black, red, and orange.

Depict Cady’s high school life and encounters with The Plastics using the Cafeteria backdrop, which includes a long lunch table, and to the side are round lunch tables. On stage left are large windows where you can see out to the school grounds.

Another option available is the High School Exterior. This backdrop depicts a school building with a brick exterior. The building has a concrete front staircase, multiple glass windows with green shades, and a large sign across the top. Green, leafy trees flank the school on either side, and an American flag sits out front on a pole.

To stage Cady’s life outside of school, as well as her shopping sprees in the story, our Shopping Mall backdrop creates the perfect atmosphere. This scenic backdrop features the interior of a mall with a large fountain in the center that is flanked by two palm trees, an escalator that takes you to the second floor, and windows that give you a look inside a variety of stores.

Lastly, recreate the iconic moments inside Regina’s room with our Pink Bedroom Interior, which features the pink interior of a room with a blue door and a window covered in frilly blue curtains. One of the walls is depicted as having vivid pink and white stripes, while two of the other walls are a lighter shade of solid pink

The Descendants

This modern Disney story took the world by storm with its creative storytelling and catchy songs. This tale follows Carlos, Jay, Evie, and Mal, children and infamous villains from some Disney classics. As Ben, son of Belle and Beast, prepares to be crowned king, he decides to grant four children from the Isle of the Lost the right to live in the kingdom.

When Carlo, Jay, Evie, and Mal are selected, their parents scheme a plan to be freed from their entrapments. The kids arrive at Auradon Preparatory and begin working to free their parents. However, they become close with the students and learn to appreciate their kindness. Mal in particular falls for Ben and becomes confused between pleasing her mother and betraying Ben. 

Bring this touching story to life by using the Fairytale Castle backdrop, which depicts a cloudy sky and a castle with blue turrets in the background. It is composed of a colorful garden that comes complete with various flowering shrubs, a pond with swans, a short pathway lined up with street lamps leading to the castle, and a cherry tree in the rightmost corner.

Transport your audience to the Isle of the Lost with our Graffiti Wall backdrop. It features a blue sky and a brownstone building with windows. In the foreground, a wall is spray-painted with colorful graffiti.

Showcase the full range of the protagonist’s lives at Auradon Preparatory with the Red Night Ornate Palace, which depicts a luxurious room set with cream-colored marble pillars with gold accents. The scenic palace rental features three large, rounded windows with regal red drapes that are drawn back with gold ties.

Alternatively, you can use Blue Night Ornate Palace. This backdrop design depicts a luxurious room with cream-colored marble pillars with gold-detailed accents at the top. The palace features three large, rounded windows with royal blue drapes with golden tassels hanging from the top and tied up in the middle; small, floral, detailed designs can be seen above each window. 

The Dungeon theatrical backdrop unveils a vast, eerie room with imposing stone walls. A winding staircase leads through an arched door, bathed in the glow of candlelight. Below, candle holders, tables, and metallic boxes add to the atmospheric ambiance.

Lastly, the Dark Castle Interior theatrical backdrop is a perfect representation of the extravagance of royalty. The ceiling itself is dark red, which enhances the mysterious royal scenery. In the background, through the arches, is a yellow and red-stained-glass medieval window, elegantly decorated with designs typical of that time.

Footloose

No other story will get you moving like this one. It tells the tale of Ren McCommack and his mother Ethel, who, after moving to a small town in Utah, experience the difficulties of being an outsider and finding passion in dancing.  

Ren enrolls in high school, where he meets new friends. He also meets Ariel, the reverend’s daughter, at church, and quickly becomes enchanted by her. They bond over their love for dancing, which is forbidden within the town’s perimeters. Nevertheless, Ren continues dancing and encouraging others to do the same, despite the townsfolk’s harsh reaction. 

Portray Ren’s everyday life in school using our High School Exterior. You can also use the School Hallway backdrop, which depicts an empty hallway lined up with black, green, and yellow lockers. As you walk into the school, you see the main hallway with lockers on the right and left, and at the end of the hallway.  

Showcase more iconic moments using the Tall Cornfield backdrop. This theatrical backdrop design portrays an idyllic farm under a blue sky with white clouds. A large part of the scenery is made up of beautiful rolling hills of pasture filled with crops. A long dirt road cuts through the middle of the rows and rows of crops. The cornfield is enclosed by a wooden split-rail fence, which can be seen all along the edge of the crops right at the foreground.

The Rustic Barn Interior presents a simple, wooden barn with wooden beams and a hay loft at the top. Various barn items, like a barrel, wagon wheel, farm tools, and a ladder, can be seen inside. The barn door is closed with its wooden latch in place.

Another option available is the Church Interior backdrop, which displays the entrance to a cathedral. Inside the place of worship, you can see the intricate architectural details, including pillars and vaulted ceilings. At the front of the chapel, you see the altar with the sun shining through a large window in the back.

Finally, use our Contemporary Street to portray Ren’s life in his new hometown. This daytime drop features a row of homes in white and yellow. In front of the houses, there is a white picket fence and large, beautiful trees. The drop gives off a traditional suburban life and looks beautiful in any production.

Grease

The classic of classics. No other high school musical reflects its spirit quite like this one. It revolves around Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, who, after spending the summer of 1958 together, fall into a push-and-pull for the ages. 

Danny and Sandy meet again at Rydell High School, where Sandy has been transferred for her senior year. They both have fond memories of their time together at the beach and happily describe their summer to their friends. Even though they both have feelings for each other, their relationship is rocky at first. After many ups and downs, Sandy and Danny reconcile after he wins Thunder Road and she gets a makeover with the help of her friends, marking the beginning of something new for both of them. 

To bring this amazing tale to life, use our Football Field backdrop. It features a typical American high school football field with yellow lines painted on the grass. In the far end of the field, you can see a yellow goal post and scoreboard. The bleachers can be seen on either side of the grass. In the distance, there are school buildings and leafy green trees.

We also offer the Daytime Carnival backdrop, which can be used to present their dates and the story’s resolution. This drop showcases a colorful scene at the town fair. At the center of this theatrical backdrop is a depiction of a carousel. To the right of the carousel is a striped tent, while the left side features a Ferris wheel and a tent that houses the local mermaid show.

The Jukebox backdrop presents black and white checkered flooring on the bottom on the drop. Music notes and multi-colored vinyl records surround a detailed old-fashioned jukebox. The background is white with a red and blue border.

You may also use the Peggy Sue 50s Diner backdrop, which depicts distinctive elements such as the checkered terrazzo floors, stainless steel stools, glass block walls, a neon sign and trimmings, and a jukebox. The walls are decorated with menu boards and wall art pieces featuring a few of its offerings, including shakes, cheeseburgers, and sodas.

Lastly, the Retro backdrop design features cyan, pink, blue, black, and violet geometric shapes rendered in a classic 60s-style pattern, perfect for your Grease production. 

Hairspray

Another classic to continue down the line. The lovely and inspiring story takes place in 1962 in Baltimore, where Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenage girl, dreams of becoming a dancer on The Corny Collins Show.

Tracy’s dream grows closer to reality when she and her friend Penny sneak out to a record hop hosted by Corny Collins. Even though the show is segregated, she manages to impress Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs, one of the hosts of Negro Day, and win the contest, but not without also winning some enemies along the way. 

Bring this story to life with our Corny Collins Show theatrical backdrop. It features light-blue, green, yellow, and pink squares on a dotted background, and in the center are the words “The Corny Collins Show” in a retro style.

Our Record backdrop is also perfect to portray the beginning of Tracy’s story. It depicts an old-time interior of a colorful record store. In the front window, you can see the name of the store, Record Bin, along with a large record and posters. In the store, records are displayed, bins displaying signs of sale, and a new bin, all under a purple roof with overhead lights. 

Showcase the charming, colorful life in the Baltimore suburbs with our Stylized Baltimore Street theatrical backdrop from Grosh Rentals, which is a colorful interpretation of a bustling street. It also features several homes in a row, trees, and a skyline in the background.

Another great option is the Small Town City Street backdrop, which presents the quaint commercial center of a town. The first floor of the four buildings depicted in this theater backdrop has the following establishments: a drug store, an ice cream shop, a billiard hall, and a boutique.

The Daytime New York backdrop takes you to downtown New York City with all of the tall buildings. The buildings are grey and brick colored. The background is a beautiful blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Last but not least, our Colorful Prison features the interior of a prison with two rows of jail cells with walls that are brightly colored with spotlights. Each row of jail cells is on a different floor, separated by a narrow, metal catwalk. In each prison cell, there are metal prison bars and concrete pillars.

High School Musical

One of the most beloved musicals of the modern era. This beautiful story has charm like no other and is sure to make your audience swoon. It tells the story of Gabriella and Troy as they navigate high school and pursue their dreams.

After meeting at a New Year’s Eve party, Troy and Gabriella share a moment during karaoke and quickly develop a connection. Troy heads back to East High School, where he is the captain of the basketball team. After finding out Gabriella has transferred to the same school, they bond over singing and teach each other to embrace themselves and what they truly love.  

Create an unforgettable stage with our very own High School Exterior and School Hallway theatrical backdrops, mentioned previously. We can also offer the Cafeteria backdrop to portray everyday high school life, along with some iconic performances. At the center of the stage backdrop is a long lunch table, and to the side are round lunch tables. In the background, you will see the heat lamps keeping the food warm.  You can almost smell the mac and cheese.  On stage left are large windows where you can see out to the school grounds.

And what is a High School Musical rendition without the Wildcats? Use our Large Gymnasium theatrical backdrop to bring these moments to life. This drop depicts the interior of an old-style gym. The gymnasium is set in light pink and dark green concrete walls. There are two doors on opposite sides of the gymnasium. A wooden dome-shaped ceiling and five large windows decorate the interior. Among the equipment found inside are a pommel horse and a rolled-up mat.

Alternatively, you can also use the High School Gymnasium backdrop, which presents an airy gym with 3 large, glass-paneled windows. The vantage point is from the audience looking onto the basketball court. Basketball hoops are on both ends of the gym as well as wooden doors.  On the ceiling, you see the court lights.

The Locker Room backdrop displays the interior of a locker room. There are some lockers open and some that are closed. In front of the lockers are wooden benches and a trash can. Gym bags in various colors and sizes can be seen strewn about, as well as towels. Fluorescent lights are beaming on the ceiling.

All these stories are filled with rich messages, iconic moments, catchy songs, and unforgettable dance numbers. And whether you are still in high school or not, there is much to be learnt from them. 

Make sure to call today or check our backdrop selection for all these amazing shows, and rent your favorite ones today. If you are not sure which backdrops could work best for your stage, reach out to us directly so our agents can help you.