Miguel Cadoy III returned to his alma mater with a vision: to establish a full-fledged musical theater program at the high school.

“I just started saying it to people so my words would hold me accountable,” Cadoy said.

Farrington, one of the largest public high schools in Hawaii, already has a well-respected theater program, T-Shirt Theater, known for improvisation, original pieces and issue-themed plays. But musical theater is singing, dancing, telling stories from the revered canon of American stage musicals. Cadoy knew there was a place for that at Farrington. All those kids singing in the stairwells on campus, their voices echoing in the concrete-block acoustics, they would love it.

Cadoy graduated from Farrington in 2007. Though he always sang and played piano, he didn’t do much of that in high school. He entered the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and was in the middle of coursework to become a nurse when he decided to change direction. He graduated from UH in 2014 with a degree in music education and started teaching at Farrington a year later.

When he started talking about his dream, people come forward. A science teacher who had a background in theater said he wanted in. A social studies teacher said she could help with design. A school counselor with a degree in dance offered to choreograph. The students came forward, too. Now the program is in its second year with 15 students.

Cadoy, who teaches piano and choir at the school, came with professional stage experience in national and international touring companies. He also came with a deep understanding of the community and a belief that his students could conquer the stage of the school’s 1,200-seat auditorium.

Cadoy smiles when asked about his costume budget. “Their costumes are just their own clothes,” he says. “Whatever they have in their closet. There’s no money.”

That’s not what’s important, though. What’s important is posted in big letters in the back of his classroom: “Believe in yourself” — the motto of beloved director, the late Ron Bright, a mentor to Cadoy.

Darian Aquino, a senior who carries himself with an easy charm, already has a number of local theater credits under his belt and has set his sights on studying theater in college.

“Farrington is really diverse,” Aquino said. “It’s not just a sports school. It’s very special. We have everything here. And we have determination. Farrington students know that if you believe something is worth it, you put in 100 percent to make it happen.” Aquino plays the heartthrob in one of the numbers. During rehearsal, he sings into a pen to practice holding a microphone.

Jewel Yere, an 11th-grader taking multiple Advanced Placement courses, said this is the first high school club she’s ever joined. She’s always loved music — her uncle John Salvatera is one of the original members of Society of Seven — and she knew she loved musicals from the moment her aunt took her to see “Hairspray” at Paliku Theatre. “The lights went down, the curtain went up and I went, ‘Oh, I want to do that!’”

Musical theater has had a positive effect on her academic endeavors. “This helps me be more confident in myself,” Yere said. “I’m always scared of getting things wrong, like when I have to answer something in class. This helps me see that it’s OK, we’re still learning. And we learn to cover our mistakes.”

On Saturday, the Farrington Performing Arts Center is staging a concert it’s calling “Dream Big” in the school’s auditorium. It’s not so much to raise money; more to raise the bar and begin to actualize the vision. Cadoy has invited guest artists Kimee Balmilero, Kristian Lei and 24-7 Danceforce to join in the show.

In the spring, Cadoy plans to stage a big musical at the school. He can’t say which one because he’s still working to secure the rights. But he is thinking about it, talking about it, telling the students to believe.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.