Musical loved for magical momentsBy Louis B. Hobson
Disney's High School Musical is a phenomenon. Conceived as a TV movie, High School Musical is a very sanitized version of the old John Travolta musical Grease.
Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) get paired for an impromptu song at a New Year's Eve karaoke party.
Their harmony and mutual attraction are instant, but this was a Christmas holiday and they must return to their respective schools. As fate would have it, Gabriella has just been transferred to Troy's alma mater, East High School, where he is the star basketball player.
After countless complications, Troy and Gabriella audition for the leads in the school's annual musical.
As directed by Kenny Ortega, High School Musical is the kind of flick where students break into huge production numbers in the gym and lunchroom as Troy and Gabriella reveal their innermost thoughts through songs.
The soundtrack for High School Musical went platinum two weeks after its release. On May 23, Disney is releasing a special edition DVD of High School Musical.
Efron and Hudgens are celebrities with tweens across North America.
"It's absolutely crazy. When fans see us in malls, they come up to us and sing the songs," says Hudgens.
"Zac and I were in a lineup for a movie at a mall recently, and a group of kids behind us not only began singing but did all the dance moves to one of the songs."
Efron finds himself on the cover of tween magazines such as Tiger Beat and Teen People and knows his poster is hanging on the bedroom walls of fans.
"When I was younger, I had a huge poster of Tyra Banks on the ceiling above my bunk bed. I feel kind of honoured that girls would pin me up on their walls," says Efron.
Disney has announced the sequel, High School Musical 2, is in the works, and all the major cast members have been signed.
That's a relief for Efron and Hudgens, who recall their original auditions were gruelling.
"There were hundreds of us auditioning. Zac and I got paired up very early on.
"The big callback elimination audition lasted 7 1/2 hours. It was nerve-wracking."
Efron reveals "the new movie is set to begin filming early in 2007. The only thing any of us has been told is that it will be set during East High's summer break."
Hudgens hopes "Troy and Gabriella finally get to kiss. From the mail I get, that's definitely what our fans want."
Efron jokes that he hopes "Troy is actually a secret agent or a superhero."
On another fantasy note, Efron hopes "they'll write a guest spot for Paula Abdul as a dance instructor.
"Maybe she could turn us into actual dancers.
"Kenny brought in the best young dancers in Utah, where we filmed, and boy, was that intimidating."
Hudgens says the cameras worked their magic.
"I got a call from Dancing With the Stars. I had to confess I'd be eliminated instantly. I'm such a klutz. It just wouldn't be fair to the person they paired me with."
Hudgens and Efron had another surreal experience when they visited a high school in Los Angeles recently.
Disney has created a stage version of High School Musical for schools and community groups.
"They asked Zac and I to come in and meet with the cast members. There they were doing out scenes. It was a really wild experience," says Hudgens.
Efron feels that High School Musical is such a success because "there's something magical about watching big production numbers.
"That's what kids are tapping into."
He explains girls "love the romance and boys love the whole basketball and sports angle of the show."
Hudgens insists "we gave kids something new and different but something they could still relate to. High School Musical is the new cool thing."
From Edmonton Sun