The Pleasant Valley High School Musical Drama Club will be performing “Schoolhouse Rock, Live!” this weekend in the high school auditorium.

The musical is based on the educational cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s that started as a series of animated cartoons written to help students struggling with math, science, reading and other school subjects. It includes music from local jazz artist Bob Dorough, who penned memorable songs such as “3 Is a Magic Number,” “Conjunction Junction,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly’ and “Zero My Hero.”

The show centers around an elementary schoolteacher, Tom, who is nervous about his first day of school. Tom works through the jitters as various alter egos use songs from the original animated series to encourage him and affirm for him that he is a good teacher.

Equipped with songs to make teaching fun and more meaningful, Tom can begin his career.

For the PVHS musical, Tom will be portrayed by Owen Gordon, a senior at the school. The alter egos will be performed by Jeneria Williams and Sarah Larregui, both seniors; and Khloe Gutai, Alayna Boland, Isaac Mitchell, Sam Lowell, Brooke Burke, Steven Roberti and Arlo Calhoun. The cast is rounded out by an ensemble that includes Jaime Rodriguez, Rachel Costello, Sophia Dobson, Shelby O’Neill, Zuzanna Romanczyk, Kailey Grave de Peralta, Olivia Joseph-Lesniewski, Cindy Page, Kiera Jeffreys, Kylie Hendrix, Emerie Gonzalez, Leo Philipps, Dylan Carroll and Chelsea Buleje.

The show is directed by Dan and Marcie Mulligan with production assistance by Donna Morris.

Dan Mulligan said they picked this musical because they felt it fit this particular group well.

“We knew that we had a really diverse group of students, and we’re actually trying to showcase some of the younger ones,” Mulligan said.

The freshman class in the Drama Club is big this year, Mulligan explained. Having a large ensemble gives these students my experience on stage.

“This is the most we’ve ever showcased an ensemble. The ensemble is almost always on stage performing. We’ve never done that for a show before,” Mulligan said.

Gordon, who plays the part of Tom, can sympathize with his character. His mother is a teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary School and uses the music to help teach her students.

“My parents, they grew up on Schoolhouse Rock and they love it,” he said.

Gordon thinks the musical has broad appeal and encourages families to come out to see it. Sarah Larregui does, too.

“I think it is a musical for all ages. I think what makes it great is having the audience participation,” Larregui said. They can feel free to sing along to their favorite tunes.

Larregui is spotlighted in the songs “A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing,” “The Preamble” and “Elbow Room.” She thinks the Schoolhouse Rock songs are very catchy, and likes how they are entertaining while still being educational.

She added, “I feel like the songs themselves, they’re able to be remembered more because they are catchy.”

Williams said the songs aren’t just for little children; high schoolers us them. too.

“We’ve used it in government class, ‘I’m Just a Bill,’ things like that. It’s not like it’s only set to a certain age group. It’s for everybody,” Williams said.

The show will take the stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. All seating is general admission. Advance tickets can be purchased by emailing Donna Morris at morris.donna@pvbears.org