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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Disney's High School Musical A review by Kate Barry Entire contents are copyright © 2009 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
I think we can all agree on one thing, if Disney is behind something, kids will eat it up. In recent years, the Mickey Mouse empire has struck gold with its musical franchise High School Musical. Slapping the faces of the young and bubbly cast on everything like backpacks and lunchboxes and releasing DVD's, CD's and airing it at least once a month on the Disney channel, it's clear this thing is a monster that can't be stopped. Although I don't understand why it caught on so quickly and strongly with the thirteen and under demographic, I watched the "on-stage" replica of the campy musical at Derby Dinner Playhouse with unbiased attention. As this is a production set in a high school, the energy throughout is at a fever pitch. From the opening "Wild Cat Cheer" to the "We're all in this together" finale, the bouncy choreography is as bright and cheerful as the decorations on the walls of the theaters. "Get'cha head in the game" incorporates basketball passes and dribbles to a pop beat that you can dance to. (Although part of me was distracted by the fact that at any moment, a ball could bounce off the stage and hit a surrounding audience member.) During the audition scene, I noticed a nod to Michael Bennett's choreography as the students form a line and hold their headshots in front of their faces which only the devoted theater nerds would notice.
I've never actually seen the movie version in its entirety but I was able to recognize who was playing which character within minutes. Lexie Dorsett plays Sharpay Evans, a mean Queen Bee. She struts around the stage in pink sequins with comic pizzazz while constantly snapping at her lap dog of a brother Ryan, played by Matthew Brennan. The brother-sister duo was as quirky and off the wall as their shimmering costumes. Justin Bowen and Anabel Franklin play Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, Disney's answer to the lead couple in Grease. They were cute, talented and looked like a lot like Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, who played the roles in the movie. This is a play geared to an audience much younger than yours truly so a negative review would be like not liking candy because it's too sweet. There's enough comedy to keep mom and dad entertained. In particular, Zachary Boone's slow yet "in-depth" interpretation of an inch-worm during the detention scene had older audience members laughing hysterically. As for the kids in the audience, I think they were awe struck by the fact that Troy, Gabriella and the rest of the wildcats were inches away singing all of their favorite songs. And I think that's the point of the whole show.
Disney's High School Musical
June 30-August 16 Posted Jul. 4, 2009
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