Drama of a high school musical

“Drama High: The Making of a High School Musical,” a special edition of “20/20” airing tonight on ABC, is not, it should be pointed out, “The Making of ‘High School Musical.’ ” (That “a” makes all the difference, for the better.) There’s no dancing in the cafeteria, and the only love story is between the students of Virginia’s Westfield High -- where a production of “The Wiz” is being mounted -- and the theater.

It’s only real life, but it has all the elements of a classic backstage musical. Notwithstanding the show’s often frantic editing, characters do emerge: The ambitious little freshman, the large girl auditioning for Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion who shows the rubber bands on his braces when he roars, the boy whose mother does not understand his love of the stage, an untested lead actress under pressure.

Issues of race and identity add dimension to the story: The theater department is mostly white; the musical was originally black. There are conflicts, but the kids struggle primarily with themselves. It all comes together by opening night, of course, as it must.