I've always enjoyed a good musical and when I heard of 'Rise' by NBC, I was very excited to watch it. Frankly, in the beginning I thought it would be another 'Glee' or 'High School Musical', but I was pleasantly surprised that it is not.
To those who enjoy a good high school drama with a gritty plot and some awesome vocals, this is definitely a show for you! This show, which was released on March 13, 2018 starts with Josh Radnor from 'How I Met Your Mother' playing the English teacher, Mr Lou Mazzuchelli, who took over the role of Theatre Director of Stanton High. The story revolves around the play that he is directing, the students in his play and the raw subplots of their struggles with their personalities, religion vs sexualities (LGBT is one of the topics), relationships and the community in general.
This show, created by the producers of 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Hamilton', is apparently based on the book 'Drama High' by Michael Sokolove. It showcases amazing talents including Auli’i Cravalho (the voice of 'Moana') and Shannon Purser (Barb in 'Stranger Things').
I've watched the first 2 episodes and I think that although it is still kinda slow, it has the potential to build up its momentum as it progresses forward (Jason Katims, please don't screw this up!).
Verdict - worth watching!