Local Actors Participate in Filming of 'Gleeful'

Around 90 actors filled Gilroy's City Hall Saturday afternoon as they performed lines for Gleeful, a movie being shot locally by 152 West Productions in partnership with the Gilroy Children’s Musical Theater.

Gleeful is a spin-off of the popular Fox Network television series Glee, as well as the film Grease and other high-school musicals, according to John Bisceglie, creative director and producer for the children's musical theater, who spearheaded the project and managed the cast.

The plot centers around a conflict between two neighboring schools, Gleeson and Reese High School, which are forced to merge after Reese closes its doors because of financial issues. The scene being shot on Saturday details parents and kids protesting the mixing of the two schools, Bisceglie said.

“We are filming a scene with a bunch of kids and parents who are angry with the school board,” he said. “The story is about these kids all trying to get along to get both high schools to cooperate.”

The musical theater and 152 productions shot the film's third scene on Sunday, which included more than 400 kids and adults dancing to Lady Gaga at Christmas Hill Park.

The actors, composed mainly of Gilroyans and some Morgan Hill and Bay Area residents, spent two months rehearsing prior to Saturday's shooting.

For some of the cast members the experience has been unforgettable. Gilroy resident Jasmine Acuna, 11, said her participation in Gleeful has been an experience she'll never forget.

“It’s been really exciting to be a part of this. I’ve learned how to be in a movie and be part of a cast," said Jasmine, who has performed in other musical productions and auditioned for NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

Jasmine's mother, Ottielie, said she's enjoyed the filming because of the education it offers young actors.

“It’s very important to have a theater company here in Gilroy because the kids need something to do, and it gets them off the street,” Ottiele said. “The directors teach the kids where to stand, how the lighting works and give them the foundation to learn about the film business.”

Gleeful is the 42nd production, and third feature film that Bisceglie has directed in partnership with Gilroy's musical theater—a relationship that has allowed the Bay Area resident to build friendships in Gilroy and work with the city's young actors for more than a decade.

“Some of these kids are in their 20s, and have been a part of our theater since they were five years old,” he said. “I’ve watched them grow up—It’s pretty cool.”

The production group is set to film through November, with the movie debuting on Feb. 26 at the Cinelux Theater in Morgan Hill. Showings will continue four times a day for seven consecutive Sundays through April 22.

Bisceglie said he plans to hold auditions for the stage edition in December at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.