If you have kids, you no doubt have already seen, listened to or at least heard about the tremendously popular "High School Musical" via the Disney Channel broadcast, the top-selling DVD or the Billboard Hot 100 soundtrack. There are even many local amateur productions playing around the country, along with a karaoke version of the catchy pop score. But none compare to the live stage show, which kicked off its national tour in Chicago in July.
The story is simple: Troy and Gabriella meet over winter break, and their relationship plays out against the complications and challenges of typical high school life. This wildly joyful musical comedy comes packed with positive messages; whether in sports, the arts or academics, the show counsels, it's always important to be yourself, to appreciate the talents of others and to be willing and able to work within a team. The most infectious of its musical mantras, "We're All in This Together," features the entire school, faculty included, singing and dancing to demonstrate its collective delight with oneness.
If you think you already know this show by heart because you've seen the movie version, think again. A new song, "Counting on You," works as a kind of split-screen plot device in which Troy's jock friends and Gabriella's fellow brainiacs both work at convincing their respective teammate to give up his or her musical dreams in favor of his or her "real" talent. Another addition, "Cellular Fusion," gives several of the show’s minor characters a chance to shine musically.
A lovely ballad cut from the movie has been added back into the stage version, and other familiar songs have new lyrics, different arrangements and/or feature vocals by different cast members. You'll also see some brand new characters like Jack Scott, the play's narrator and school announcer. Other characters were rewritten for the stage, like Ryan, Sharpay's (played to bitchy perfection by Chandra Lee Schwartz) brother, who gets to show a kinder side than in the film version. Then there's the mega-mix finale, which borrows unabashedly from productions like "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat."
This production is slick, polished and very professional. The sets, costumes and lighting—by Kenneth Foy, Wade Laboissonniere and Ken Billington, respectively—provide theatrical eye candy. Bryan Louiselle has arranged a Broadway-quality score, sung spiritedly by the ensemble. Jeff Calhoun's clever direction and, especially, Lisa Stevens’ exciting choreography keeps the show animated and electrifying, especially during the basketball practice number "Get'cha Head in the Game."
The entire cast is sensational. The wonderful Arielle Jacobs, a dead ringer for the film's Gabriella, has a warmer, richer singing voice than her on-screen counterpart. John Jeffrey Martin is a different Troy than in the original, but also sings well and shows a gentle sincerity that makes his moments with Gabriella genuine. Ellen Harvey's drama teacher and Ron Bohmer's Coach Bolton both equal the energy of their younger cast mates. In all, this will undoubtedly be the next big Disney theatrical phenomenon and should not be missed!
Reviewed by Centerstage!
