High School Musical
Stage Entertainment
in association with Disney Theatrical Productions
This production is classic Disney: a bright, sunshiny, primary-coloured portrayal of good and evil, right and wrong, and as wholesome as can be.
At its heart is the story of Troy (Ashley Day), captain of the basketball team, and new student Gabriella (Lorna Want), a geek – albeit a pretty geek – and their struggle to be together, to be themselves and also to be accepted by their peers. No wonder kids love it: the story gets into their world and under their skin, reassuring them that finding a unique place in the world is still what being young is all about.
"The dance skills
and acrobatics of
the ensemble are
awe-inspiring...
good, clean fun"
This is a phenomenally talented cast. Helen George, as the self-absorbed attention-seeker Sharpay, stands out vocally, but the dance skills and acrobatics of the ensemble are awe-inspiring. In terms of choreography, Get’cha Head In The Game is the far and away highlight of the show, an incredibly ambitious number involving basketballs bounced, twirled and threaded either in complete synchronisation or creating interlocking beats, punctuated by the sound of squeaky gymshoes, all of which relies on perfection.
The cast’s biggest problem is trying to appear less talented than they actually are during the audition scenes which, amazingly, they plausibly achieve. In duets such as What I’ve Been Looking For, the voices of Day and Want are beautiful together, while songs involving the whole company range from the energetically catchy, like Stick to the Status Quo, to as powerful as a gospel choir.
There are some good laughs, too, without resorting to too much slapstick – although there is one well-timed pie in the face. Television can’t compare.
It is the very Disney nature of the production which works so well: slick, exuberant dance and song, balanced with romantic ballads, all the while following a sweet love story backed by a strong, if simplistic, message of being true to yourself. Even the cheerleaders’ costumes keep them well covered, completing the overall sense of good, clean fun.
Caroline Scott-Thomas
Reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse in February 2008.
February 24-28 2009, SECC, Glasgow, www.secctickets.com
July 13-18 2009, Edinburgh Playhouse, www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk
www.hsmonstage.co.uk
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What the papers said:
The Herald:
*** "A low-attention-span bubblegum smash-hit... performed by an identikit ensemble of cartoon archetypes"
Metro:
**** "The transition from screen to stage is expertly done, with lively choreography, slick production and cheekier humour"
The Scotsman:
*** "The young cast perform with an energetic intensity that's frankly dizzying... contradictory, breathtakingly unoriginal and ultimately soulless"
Sunday Herald:
*** "Ashley Day's Troy is every inch the square-jawed American good guy, but it is Lorna Want (as Gabriella) who is the star."
