MILTON — All the hard work of the past month will soon come together as the curtain rises at 7:30 tomorrow night on Milton Area Community Theater’s production of “High School Musical.”

The popular musical, based on the Disney film of the same name, features more than 30 area high school students on stage with lots of high-energy singing and dancing. Additional performances will be held on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

The production by the Milton Area Community Theater is one of several shows produced annually. It will be staged in the Milton High School’s air-conditioned performing arts center on Mahoning Street.

Earlier this month, four young people who had never taken part in a stage production talked about their concerns and experiences, and now that opening night is here, they were eager to share what they had learned. In the earlier interview, they were tentative and nervous about speaking with a reporter, not sure what they should say, but since then, they’ve become much more confident and poised.

“It’s great,” said Dakota Deen of Montgomery. “I think we’re all feeling it now.”

Israel Delgado, a Shikellamy student, said he’s very excited about making his stage debut.

“I know it can’t be perfect,” he said. “You think the small things, like how you hold your hands or how you take a step don’t matter, but they do.”

Diana Hettinger of Milton nodded in agreement.

“Every movement has to be big so the audience can see it,” she observed.

Deen, whose usual extra-curricular activity is wrestling, said he felt odd using makeup.

“I know why we have to, but it’s still a little weird,” he said.

The fourth of the students interviewed last month had left the production, though the others had been so focused they really didn’t notice his absence, they said.

Rehearsals have been intense throughout the entire process, the students said, and there have been times when their confidence and enthusiasm flagged. In the last week, there have been sessions that lasted until 11 p.m.

“I’m amazed how it has all come together,” said Deen. “I was a little worried last week, but now I’m really excited to do it.”