Mindy Cooper
Director – Choreographer
Ranked, A Musical
HBO’s My So-Called High School Rank follows the creation of the musical theater production of RANKED A MUSICAL at Granite Bay High School in Sacramento, CA, inspired by students’ stories of the constant pressures to achieve a top-rank in every part of their lives to get ahead in today’s fierce college admissions process.
In an uncanny case of art anticipating real life, Granite Bay’s musical RANKED was in the works weeks before the “Varsity Blues” scandal made headlines in 2019. The play’s apt timing and subject matter speak to a culture where many students feel driven to succeed at any cost.
As news emerged of the production of a musical exploring these critical issues, other schools reached out to stage their own productions. High schoolers around the country connected with the show’s themes as they themselves struggled to find their place in the world amid intense college admissions competition. The film chronicles auditions and rehearsals at three high schools from Ripley WV, to Cupertino CA, as well as to the Bronx NY, where students face similar challenges despite dramatically different life circumstances.
Produced at the Ground & Field Theatre Festival, UC Davis
September 26, 2019 through 28, 2019
Book: Kyle Holmes
Music & Lyrics; David Taylor Gomes
Director: Mindy Cooper
Visit Ranked, A Musical website here.
Winner of 3 Broadway World Sacramento Awards: Best Musical, Best Director, Best Actress
RANKED Documentary
To view the full documentary click here.
Password: mschsRANK
Articles
(click on underlined text to read full article)
How to Perform a Musical on Zoom
Cast Set for Industry Presentations of New Musical Ranked
New Musical RANKED Gets Workshop At The Daryl Roth Theatre
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