High School Musical on Stage! Totally Explained

Everything about High School Musical On Stage totally explained

High School Musical on Stage! is a stage musical based on the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, with music and lyrics by Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, Ray and Greg Cham, Andrew Seeley, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louiselle, David N. Lawrence, Faye Greenberg and Jamie Houston, and a book by David Simpatico. it has quickly become a very popular choice for high school musical theatre productions.

Characters

Troy Bolton (tenor)
Gabriella Montez (soprano)
Chad Danforth (tenor)
Taylor McKessie (mezzo-soprano)
Sharpay Evans (soprano/alto)
Ryan Evans (tenor/baritone)
Jack Scott (tenor)
Kelsi Nielson (mezzo-soprano)
Zeke Baylor (tenor)
Martha Cox (mezzo-soprano)
Coach Jack Bolton
Ms. Darbus
Ms. Tenny

Synopsis

Act I

At East High School (In Albuquerque, New Mexico) (Wildcat Cheer), Troy Bolton tells his Jock friends, Chad Danforth and Zeke Baylor, about meeting Gabriella Montez on New Year's Eve during winter vacation on a ski trip. Gabriella, who has just moved to Albuquerque, tells Taylor McKessie and Martha Cox (her new found Brainiac friends) of her vacation, as does Troy with his friends. We also meet Sharpay and Ryan Evans, the two drama stars of the school. Sharpay is selfish, and Ryan follows her orders but tries to be friends with everyone. Troy and Gabriella have a flashback to New Year's Eve when they met. (Start of Something New). One-half of the song is during the flashback, then we return to East High where Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke and other students sing of their New Year's Resolutions.
In homeroom, Mrs. Darbus tells her class of the upcoming Winter Musical, "Juliet and Romeo", a new version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", written by Kelsi Nielsen, a shy East High student. When Ryan, Sharpay, Troy, and Gabriella start using their cell phones, Mrs. Darbus gives them all detention. Chad interferes, telling Mrs. Darbus Troy can't go because they've basketball practice after school and that they've an upcoming championship game. Mrs. Darbus gives him detention for 30 minutes, as well as Taylor when she remarks that Chad can't even count that high. At Gabriella's locker, Troy runs into her and they show their amazement of how they found each other again. Sharpay walks by and tries to flirt with Troy, but he shows no interest in her. Sharpay observes that he's interested in Gabriella and she's interested in him. Later,the Jocks have basketball practice (Get'cha Head in the Game). Meanwhile in a Science class, Gabriella shows her smarts by pointing out a flaw in the teacher's equation. Taylor is impressed and asks, on behalf of her Science Club, if Gabriella could join their team to win the upcoming Scholastic Decathlon, although Gabriella refuses. Sharpay overhears and has Ryan investigate by Googling her. She sees that Gabriella was a very intelligent Brainiac at her old school and puts the printouts in Taylor's locker, and later the students head to the Mrs. Darbus's room for detention, where Taylor asks Gabriella to join the Scholastic Decathlon team based on the printouts Sharpay planted in her locker and she agrees. Everyone does the ball of noise while Coach Bolton comes to get Troy and Chad for practice and then talks to Mrs. Darbus about it.
The next day, thespians audition for the play (Auditions). Sharpay and Ryan audition as well (What I've Been Looking For). After the auditions have been declared closed, Gabriella and Troy sing the song as Kelsi intended it - much slower (What I've Been Looking For (Reprise) ). Although Troy and Gabriella didn't intend it to be an audition they're called back for a second audition. When their friends hear the news they spread it via cell phones (Cellular Fusion). Meanwhile, Sharpay is furious as she believes that they've stolen the lead roles and broken the 'rules' of East High. Most of the school agrees, and lyrical chaos erupts during a lunch break with students telling their secret obsessions out side of their cliques (Stick to the Status Quo), which culminates in Sharpay getting caked by Zeke, who secretly likes her.

Act II

Jack Scott recaps events before Troy and Gabriella dance on the rooftop garden (I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You). Zeke comes to Sharpay's locker and tries to flirt with her. Meanwhile, the Jocks and Brainiacs plot against the infuriated duo during study hall. Sharpay and Ryan see the Jocks and the Brainiacs mingling together and imagine they're trying to help Troy and Gabriella. So Sharpay lies to Mrs. Darbus saying that Troy and his dad are trying to ruin the auditions because she gave Troy detention. Later at practice, (Wildcat Cheer (Reprise)) Mrs. Darbus talks to Troy's dad and then he talks to Troy. Gabriella comes to practice to see Troy while Martha comes and takes her to the lab. Troy's dad thinks Gabriella is the reason why Troy got detention.
   The Jocks and Brainiacs put their plan to work, pushing at Troy and Gabriella to 'split up'. Eventually, Troy gives in and pretends that he doesn't like Gabriella, completely oblivious to the phone in Zeke's hand, transmitting Troy's words directly to Gabriella (Counting on You). Troy and Gabriella, lonely and upset, sing (When There Was Me and You.)
   The next day, Sharpay and Ryan were rehearsing for their callback while Sharpay talks to Ryan about her role in the school. Then Troy comes in looking for Gabriella and Ryan tells him that she's in the theatre. Troy went to the theatre and told Gabriella that they were set-up and he didn't mean what he said and sings to remind her of New Year's (Start of Something New (Reprise)) Hearing that the callback date has been moved up by request of Sharpay to the same time as the big game and the Scholastic Decathlon, Troy and Gabriella announce to the Jocks and Brainiacs that they're going to not do the callback, but instead help their respective teams for their events. The Jocks and Brainiacs say they should do the callbacks. Troy and Gabriella refuse, but the teams decide to lend a helping hand anyway (We're All In This Together). On the day of the big game/Decathlon/callbacks, the students are excited for the festivities. Sharpay and Ryan perform their callback song (Bop to the Top), during which Taylor engineers an electronic meltdown in the decathlon and light malfunctions in the game, which forces all the students to move to the theater. Chad and Taylor explain to Troy and Gabriella that this is their only chance. Mrs. Darbus, hesitant to allow Troy and Gabriella an audition due to their lateness, has no choice but to let them audition as the auditorium fills with students (Breaking Free). Mrs. Darbus gives Troy and Gabriella the parts on the spot with everyone watching.
   The end of Act II brings us to the gym where all the main characters wrap up their plots (Chad asks out Taylor, Zeke gets Sharpay to be nice to him, Jack Scott and Kelsi literally fall head over heels for each other, and Sharpay makes up with Gabriella and Troy.) the Wildcats win the big game and the Decathlon. The students celebrate (We're All in This Together (Reprise)) and there's a recap of all the major songs in the show (Megamix). Finally, everyone takes their bows.

Songs

Act I

Wildcat Cheer - Cast

Start of Something New - Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke, Martha, and Company

Get'cha Head in the Game - Troy and Jocks

Get'cha Head in the Game (Reprise) - Troy and Jocks

Auditions - Thespians

What I've Been Looking For - Ryan and Sharpay

What I've Been Looking For (Reprise) - Troy and Gabriella

Cellular Fusion - Students

Stick to the Status Quo - Sharpay, Ryan, Zeke, Troy, Gabriella, Martha, Ripper and Company

Act II

I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - Troy and Gabriella

Wildcat Cheer (Reprise) - Cheerleaders

Counting on You - Jocks and Brainiacs

When There Was Me and You - Troy, Gabriella, and Company

Start of Something New (Reprise) - Troy and Gabriella

We're All in This Together - Jocks and Brainiacs

Bop to the Top - Ryan, Sharpay, Jocks, Brainiacs, Kelsi & Jack Scott

Breaking Free - Troy, Gabriella & Cast

We're All in This Together (Reprise) - Cast

Megamix - Cast

Major differences between the movie and stage show

There are numerous differences between the movie and the stage adaptations. In several instances, songs that were formally sung exclusively by the leads, are performed in the stage version by the entire ensemble. These include Start of Something New, Bop to the Top, When There Was Me and You, and Breaking Free.
   There are two new songs, Counting On You and Cellular Fusion and the former "extra song" I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You has been added to the main repertoire. Several songs in the stage version are reprised throughout the show, including the Wildcat Cheer, What I've Been Looking For and We're All in This Together.
   There is one new major character in the stage version - Jack Scott, the school announcer, who acts as the play's narrator, and ends the show as Kelsi's date instead of the movie character of Jason, whose role is significantly smaller than in the movie. Supporting characters Taylor McKessie and Chad Danforth are much more prominent in songs, while in the movie neither character has any solos.
   In the movie, Troy and Gabriella help form the plan to pause the game and the decathlon so they can do the callbacks, but in the play, the jocks and brainiacs plan it without them knowing, surprising the two when they execute the plan. The balcony scene, as well as Troy's exchange with Mrs. Montez, were cut out of the stage version. The name of the winter musical in the movie, "Twinkle Towne", changes to "Juliet and Romeo" in the stage adaptation. Unlike the movie, at the end of the play it's Ryan who reveals Sharpay's plot instead of Kelsi. Finally, Troy and Gabriella share a kiss at the end of the play when in the original movie they do not.

High School Musical 2 On Stage!

High School Musical 2, the sequel to the popular movie High School Musical, is also being spun off into a stage musical. Like the original, the show has been adapted into two different productions: A one-act, 70-minute version and a two-act full length production. Through Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical plans on licensing the theatrical rights starting in October, 2008.

Productions

United States tour

Disney Theatrical staged a US tour that began on August 1, 2007 and has scheduled shows until August 10, 2008. Principal Cast

John Jeffrey Martin as Troy Bolton

Arielle Jacobs as Gabriella Montez

Shakiem Evans as Chad Danforth

Shaullanda Lacombe as Taylor McKessie

Helene York as Sharpay Evans

Bobby List as Ryan Evans

Michael Mahany as Jack Scott

Olivia Oguma as Kelsi Nielson

Chandra Lee Schwartz as Sharpay Evans (Last performance 2/17/08)

Ben Thompson as Zeke Baylor

Lizzie Weiss as Martha Cox

Ron Bohmer as Coach Bolton

Ellen Harvey as Ms. Darbus

Leonard E. Sullivan as Kratnoff

Other productions

An arena style production was licensed by Hal Leonard Australia PTY LTD, exclusive agents for Music Theatre International (NY). It performed to over 12,000 people in the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, October, 2007. This was the first known production of Disney’s High School Musical: On Stage in an arena style venue. It was directed by Jonathan Geraghty (director of popular TV series’ Hi5 and Home And Away). It was also the first locally produced musical to be performed in the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
A professional UK production is opened on January 24, 2008 at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley before moving on to a national tour. This production is directed by Jeff Calhoun, choreographed by Lisa Stevens and will star Ashley Day as Troy, Lorna Want as Gabriella, Helen George as Sharpay and Lee Honey-Jones as Ryan.
A Spanish national tour produced by Stage Entertainment opened on February 24, 2008 at Roquetas de Mar Auditorium and is schedule to reach to Teatro Lope de Vega, Madrid on September 23, 2008. This production is directed by Ariel del Mastro, choreographed by Mayte Marcos and with Spanish lyrics by Alicia Serrat. A West End production is scheduled to open on July 5, 2008 at the Apollo Hammersmith Theatre, running concurrently with the UK tour. A touring Dutch production is scheduled to open on january 8, 2009.

Further Information

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