High School Musical

Researching

Title of play:Name of playwright: David

Simpatico, with music and lyrics by Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, Ray and Greg Cham, Drew

Seeley, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louiselle, David N.

Lawrence, Faye Greenberg and Jamie Houston.

Premier date: On August 1, 2006, Playbill announced that the Stagedoor Manor summer theater camp, featured in the movie Camp, would be the first venue to produce High School Musical on-

stage.

On January 12, 2007, Theatre of the Stars in Atlanta, Georgia was the first professional company to stage the production.

High School Musical (On Stage)

Detailed synopsis of play, outlining each act and

sceneAct 1:

At East High School (in Albuquerque, New Mexico) 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, also tells her newfound Brainiac friends Taylor McKessie, Kelsi Nielsen and Martha Cox of her vacation. We then meet Sharpay and Ryan Evans; the siblings and two drama stars of the school. Troy and Gabriella have a flashback to New Year's Eve when they met, and this is where “The Start Of Something New” is sung. 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, the drama teacher, 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 that Troy cannot go because they have basketball practice after school and that they have an upcoming championship game. Mrs. Darbus then gives Chad a 30 minute detention, and gives Taylor detention 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 is interested in Gabriella and she is interested in him and she looks devious. Later, the Jocks have basketball practice where the song “Get’cha Head In The Game” begins.

In a Science class, Gabriella shows her intelligence 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 name.Discovering that Gabriella was a very intelligent Brainiac at her old school, Sharpay prints her newfound information and puts it in Taylor's locker. The students later head to Mrs. Darbus' room for detention, and act like animals. Taylor then asks Gabriella again to join the Scholastic Decathlon team based on the printouts Sharpay planted in her locker, and Gabriella agrees. Everyone does the 'ball of noise,' and 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. This is where “Auditions” begins. Sharpay and Ryan audition as well and this is where the song “What I’ve Been Looking For” begins. 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 did not intend it to be an audition they are called back for a second audition. When their friends hear the news they spread it via cell phones, and “Cellular Fusion” begins.Sharpay is furious, believing Troy and Gabriella have stolen the lead roles and broken the 'rules' of East High. Though most of the school agrees, lyrical chaos erupts during a lunch break when students begin telling their secret obsessions outside of their cliques ("Stick to the Status Quo"). The scene culminates with Sharpay getting 'caked' by Zeke (who secretly likes her), after Gabriella spins into him. Act 1 ends with Sharpay angrily shouting "Someone is going to pay for this!"

Act 2: Jack Scott recaps events before Troy and Gabriella dance on the rooftop garden to “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off 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 are 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. He tells Troy that he is a playmaker and not a singer. This infuriates Troy who angrily asks his father if he ever wondered if he “could be both” and storms off in a rage, leaving his father stunned.The Jocks and Brainiacs put their plan to work, pushing at Troy and Gabriella to 'split up'. Eventually, Troy, furious with his friends for telling him the same things his dad did, 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, where “Counting On You” starts. Gabriella hears and becomes very upset. Troy and Gabriella, lonely and upset, sing ("When There Was Me and You"). The Jocks and Brainiacs then realize that they have gone too far and feel guilty for ruining Troy and Gabriella's relationship.

The next day, Sharpay and Ryan are rehearsing for their callback while Sharpay talks to Ryan about her role in the school. Troy wonders in looking for Gabriella and Ryan tells him that she is in the theatre. Troy goes to the theatre and tells 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 are not going to go to 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"), which at the same time happens with the basketball championship and the science decathlon, 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” begins. Mrs. Darbus gives Troy and Gabriella the parts on the spot with everyone watching.The end of Act 2 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)") followed by a recap of all the major songs in the show ("Megamix").

Contextual, historical, geographical & social understanding

High School Musical is a 2006 American television film and the first instalment in the High School Musical trilogy. High School Musical on

Stage! is a musical based on the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful

film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and the feature film High School Musical 3: Senior Year released to theatres in October 2008. High

School Musical was Disney Channel's most watched film that year with 7.7 million viewers in its premiere broadcast in the US. On December 29, 2006, it became the first Disney Channel Movie to be broadcast on the BBC. Globally,

High School Musical has been seen by over 225 million viewers.

With a plot described by the author and numerous critics as a modern adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, High School Musical is a romantic story about

two high school juniors from rival cliques – Troy Bolton, captain of the basketball team and Gabriella Montez, a beautiful and shy transfer student who excels in maths and science. Together, they try out for the lead parts in

their high school musical without intending to and as a result, divide the school. Despite other students' attempts to prevent their dreams, Troy and

Gabriella resist peer pressure and rivalry, inspiring others along the way not to "stick to the status quo". Show-off Sharpay Evans will do anything to sabotage

the friendship between Troy and Gabriella and also get a lead in the school musical, assisted by her brother Ryan.

The film was actually filmed in 3 locations, those being East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, the auditorium of Murray High School, and Downtown Salt

Lake City. The set is a modern high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It consists of characters from both middle and working class.

Main character analysis• Troy Bolton, son of the basketball coach at the school and captain of the team.

Ends up torn between basketball and performing. Heart throb at the school, falls in love with Gabriella Montez. Main character.

• Gabriella Montez, the new girl at East High school who excels in maths and science. Met Troy over winter break and can’t believe her luck when she sees him at her new school and falls in love with him. Member of the science club. Sharpay is envious of her because she knows Troy likes her. Main character.

• Sharpay Evans, the show-off of the school who has been the lead in performances since pre-school. President of the drama club and most popular student in the school. Extremely spoiled, bosses her brother around as if he is her property. Very vain and concerned with her reputation and how she looks. Puts herself first.

• Ryan Evans, Sharpay’s brother. Vice president of the drama club. Obeys Sharpay’s demands but wants to be nice to everyone unlike her.

• Kelsi Neilsen, pianist in the drama club. Shy, but stands up for herself in the end. Makes Troy and Gabriella sing the song which brings them together.

• Coach Bolton, Troy’s father. Tries to persuade Troy that he is a “player, not a singer”. Isn’t supportive of his son’s wishes and aspirations and pushes him to the limit.

• Chad Danforth, best friend of Troy and basketball team member. Relationship between himself and Taylor begins to blossom towards the end. Isn’t supportive of Troy’s wishes at first.

• Zeke Baylor, basketball team player who is quite shy. His passion for baking is jokingly revealed near the end of the show. Has a crush of Sharpay.

• Taylor McKessie, head of the Brainiacs as she is very intelligent. Becomes Gabriella’s best friend. Relationship between herself and Chad blossoms towards the end.

• Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher. Very much in favour of Sharpay and Ryan at first, until Gabriella and Troy unexpectedly and involuntarily audition for the winter show. In around her mid-50s and quite stylish, as you would typically expect a drama teacher to look.

Initial creative ideas• Wildcats basketball kit• Fairy lights, balloons on tables (beginning party scene)• Kelsi’s bowlers hat and suit• Sharpay & Ryan’s outfits (Bop To The Top)• Ladder with tinsel & disco ball (Bop To The Top)• Tables in canteen (Stick To The Status Quo)