Alysa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Audio Slideshow: A Plum delightful 'Dolly' Click photo for slideshow.

The heart of a high school musical is the experience of the students.

In some schools, the musical is the project that most crosses all the fiefdoms, compartments and cliques that are inevitable in complex social systems. Performing is just the most visible part of it. There're also stage managing, building sets, preparing costumes and setting lights; publicity, ticketing, ushering and programs; and a long rehearsal process, with all the necessary accommodations by schools and families. All this draws on varied talents, found here and there in ways that cut across the usual school categories of academics, athletics or extra-curricular.

But beyond the necessary institutional and parental adaptations, there's the personal experience of the students, something we can't measure from the outside but we can sense from what we can see -- the joyous post-curtain mingling of performers and crew with family, friends and each other.

Plum High School is a big place, with an airplane-hangar of an auditorium seating something like 2,000 and a lobby as big as Loews Waterfront, but not even that size could dwarf the joyful post-show maelstrom at last Friday's "Hello, Dolly!"

	Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Juliann Sheldon tests the twirl of her skirst before heading onstage as Ermengarde. Watching her are costume assistant A.J. Greygor and Ashleigh Yuska, who plays Dolly. Click photo for larger image.

You saw some of that pleasure on the big stage, too, mainly in a couple of ensemble numbers that filled it with some 70 people, but also in smaller scenes, especially those involving the four young amatory adventurers played by Tom Wood (Cornelius), Rebecca Kotcher (Irene), Sal Bucci (Barnaby) and Brittany Doerfler (Minnie).

Presiding over the comic story was that consummate meddler, Dolly Gallagher Levi, played with strong stage presence by Ashleigh Yuska. Vocally, she leaned toward a Barbra Streisand-like schemer more than the sunnier Carol Channing. Providing a rock solid immovable object to her irresistible force was Ken Linamen as Horace Vandergelder, the famous half-a-millionaire.

Producer/director Nicole Kociela made good use of the long ramp surrounding the orchestra to moderate the vastness of the hall, bringing the performers forward (and giving them a good workout, too). Danielle Doerfler's choreography relied heavily on gymnastics.

Overall, the standout performer was the Plum student orchestra, 27 strong, led by John A. Gula. It had a solid string section of 11 (plus guitar).

	Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Ken Linamen portrays Horace Vandergelder, the love interest of matchmaker Dolly Levi (Ashleigh Yuska). Click photo for larger image.

There were shortcomings in sound amplification, which was spotty, lacking presence and sometimes painfully loud, and makeup, where somebody thought every face had to be dirtied with dark character lines on forehead and cheeks. Some lack in the hall's lighting facilities required the use of floor-level spotlights that threw a lot of ugly shadows.

But the look of the show was distinguished by some really colorful, stylish period costumes, leading up to the shimmying glow of Dolly's wedding gown.

As to that huge lobby: Most high school musicals are a lively community festival, with the lobby filled with balloons, flowers, photographs, souvenirs, baked goods, drinks and other intermission treats. At Plum, there was none of this intermission bustle. Either there's no enthusiastic support group of parents, which I can't believe, or the school is obsessive about protecting its new building from festive life, like a librarian who prefers to keep the books in neat rows rather than jumbled with active use.

None of that mattered when the kids came tumbling out -- they brought plenty of life with them.

	Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Actors in stylish period costumes flow across the Plum High School stage during the song "Put on Your Sunday Clothes." Click photo for larger image