living in the sun, dreaming under the moon: High School Musical

Monday, March 24, 2008

High School Musical - Opening Night Review

The Disney Channel made-for-TV musical “High School Musical” took the nation by storm, and now is going to light up the stages in xxxxxxxxx. Last night was the first of six performances for the cast, led by Ms. Paulette Lunn of xxx High School and Dr. Jim Beaumier of xxxx School, and the students are doing a tremendous job. The audience loved the show last night, and plenty of little ones were singing along to every song.

Cast of High School Musical during rehearsals.

The theme of the movie is that kids from different cliques can come together with more open-minded thinking and acceptance of their differences and strengths. Just like the show, the cast is made up of kids from varied backgrounds that come together to make a great night at the theater. Not only are the students from two different schools, they comprise students that also members of choir, band, academic clubs, sports, dance, artistic talents and more. The kids have helped each other by choreographing different numbers, lending assistance on singing, and generally all playing a part in making their production wonderful.

Hannah Stanley and Weldon Mumford, both seniors, have sung together many times in their school careers together will play the leads of Gabriella and Troy, strangers by chance that end up finding that they both love to sing. They decide to try out for the school play, and that revelation startles the students of East High, as Troy was only known as a “jock”, and the new student at East High, Gabriella, has an IQ that makes her invaluable to the academic challenge team. Their friends plot to insure that they cannot audition for the school play, which makes the Queen of the Stage only too happy- Sharpay, played by freshman Amelia Little and her stage brother Ryan, played by Noah Stanley (real-life brother to Hannah), are always the leads of the school play. The show has a lot of great songs that you’ll leave the theater singing, but chances are if you have a pre-teen in your home you’ve heard them a million times already!

By the end of the play, everyone realizes that they need not be just in one clique, that the students can blend their talents together. The premise is a bit corny, but an ideal that is a positive message for all of us- which may be why High School Musical has been so popular all along.

We support our sports teams; we need to give our other groups of students with our attendance at what they do best. Our academic challenge teams, our band concerts, and our theater students need and deserve good support and audiences. Support these kids that have worked so hard….GO SEE THIS SHOW!

Cast of High School Musical in rehearsal prior to opening night.

Weldon Mumford and Hannah Stanley during rehearsals.

Memorizing lines is a tough job when you are also juggling a ton of homework!

And who says rehearsals can't be fun? Seated is Coleen Kelly, who plays the piano playing playwright, Kelsie...she did a great job helping to choreograph the show. (The kid in yellow is mine, she gets to be Gabriella when Hannah Stanley competes in Miss Hartsville High on March 1st...good luck to both girls that night!)