‘Encore!’ on Disney+ is Less About Theatre Kids, and More About Regret

Of all the shows to launch on Disney+ in the last week, Encore! is the one that has bemused me the most. Kristen Bell hosts the docuseries which reunites the casts of old high school musicals to put on an encore performance of their teenage theatrics. At first, the show hurt my soul, as the series premiere “Annie” is an unfiltered look at dreams deferred. However, as the show has evolved, Encore has proven itself to be a bittersweet meditation on the power of community, the arts, and nostalgia.

Disney+’s Encore! has broken my heart, and managed to piece it back together. I think.

When Disney+ launched last week, most of the hype was focused on The Mandalorian, the first live action Star Wars series. However, the service launched with a number of other original shows, including Encore! The premise is simple: the core cast of a high school musical is reunited decades after the final curtain to revisit the parts they played on stage, and the roles they played in real life during high school. There are exuberant reunions, tense rehearsals, and emotional breakthroughs. There’s also a lot of talk about who did follow their dreams and who did not.

The most devastating part of Encore! is watching all the regret. Given the subject matter, we naturally see stories of theatre kids stuck now in mundane suburban lives as well as glorious song birds frustrated that they never pursued that big musical career. But the truly tragic moments are when the cast reflects on how lonely, down, or challenged they felt as adolescents. In Episode 2, there’s even an extended sequence where an acting coach asks the cast to sort of sense memory themselves back into their teenaged selves, and the tears flow.

In all the episodes released so far, there are portraits of people grappling with profound insecurity. Some of them have managed to overcome their adolescent anxieties, while others seem to be confronting them for the very first time. The good news is that in each case, there was some sort of breakthrough. Now as adults, surrounded by a supportive cast and crew working together towards a common goal, these folks can see their worth, even if they may not have as teens. Still, there is a tremendous sorrow in realizing that you didn’t love yourself enough, or live your life to its fullest potential.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are giggles and glee, too. Reunited as adults, each cast falls right into the playful rhythms of their youth. The class clowns are still vamping for laughs, and old friends are ecstatic to be huddled together backstage once more. Encore! also gives these performers the chance to correct past mistakes from the original productions. Vocal coaching helps imbue the now-older actors with confidence, Broadway directors give each show a more professional gloss, and every performance gets a lift from a high-budget hair, make-up, and wardrobe team. The ultimate effect is that for one night, these actors get to really soak in the spotlight. They get to nail the parts they whiffed as kids or relive those long-lost moments of glory.

More than anything, though, Encore! made me think about the power that art has in all of our lives. Theatre gave all the people we meet in the show a true outlet in high school, as well as a sense of community. Some of the folks we meet did go on to pursue careers in entertainment, while others managed to bring their theater kid energy to their alternative professions. It also made me think about how few adults give themselves the opportunity to be creative or playful in their day-to-day lives. Taking the time to express yourself — to dig deep and find some artistic energy you may not know was there — that can help you make the best choices for you, as well.

Encore! is entertaining, but also challenging. It asks us to look at the lives we chose not to live, and to rediscover the angsty, artsy, awkward teens still living in us all.

Where to stream Encore!