'High School Musical 'Leaps into Toronto September 4

Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is a contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a secret passion for singing.  When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High's rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar.  In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the "jocks," the "brainiacs" and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage.  By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, the couple inspires other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own.
 
The basketball team captain, "Troy Bolton," will be played by John Jeffrey Martin, whose Broadway credits include Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray and Good Vibrations.  He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.  Starring opposite Martin as the shy, academic student "Gabriella Montez" will be Arielle Jacobs.  Jacobs' theatre credits include Crazy for You, A Chorus Line and Cinderella, and her film credits include The Stepford Wives and Water Lilies.
 
Veteran actor Ron Bohmer will portray Troy's father and Wildcat's basketball coach, "Coach Bolton." Bohmer is known for his Broadway and National tour credits including The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Phantom of the Opera, The Woman in White, Aspects of Love, Fiddler on the Roof and Sunset Boulevard.  Troy's best friend, "Chad Danforth," will be played by Shakiem Evans who most recently appeared as "Eddie" in Broadway's Mamma Mia!  Evans' Off-Broadway credits include Two Gentlemen of Verona and Fame, and he is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.  Ellen Harvey is the drama teacher, "Ms. Darbus."  Harvey's Broadway credits include Thou Shalt Not and The Music Man, and her touring credits include Mamma Mia! and Doctor Dolittle.  "Taylor McKessie," the leader of the "brainiacs" at East High School, will be played by Shaullanda LaCombe, who was "Shenzi" in Disney's The Lion King and "Charlane" in Ain't Misbehavin'.  
 
Bobby List will play Drama Club enthusiast and brother of Sharpay, "Ryan Evans."  List, a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati – Conservatory of Music, played opposite Debby Boone in The Human Comedy at Barrington Stage and in The 60's Project at the Goodspeed Opera House.  Michael Mahany will introduce audiences to a new character written specifically for the stage production "Jack Scott," the crooning voice of East High School.  Mahany's credits include the Off-Broadway production of Spring Awakening, a reading of Ella Minnow Pea, a workshop of Bill Russell's Mister Fabulous, and regional productions of Into the Woods and Annie Get Your Gun.  The young composer "Kelsi Neilson" will be portrayed by Olivia Oguma who has appeared on Broadway in Mamma Mia! and Les Miserables and Off-Broadway in Sarah, Plain and Tall, La Dispute and The Scarlet Letter.  Oguma's film credits include Hallmark Hall of Fame's The Flamingo Rising and Strangers with Candy: The Movie.  
 
The scheming Drama Club president, "Sharpay Evans," will be played by Chandra Lee Schwartz, who appeared in the Broadway productions of Gypsy and Hairspray as well as the first national tour of Hairspray.  Schwartz's regional credits include productions at the New York Musical Theatre Festival and Gateway Playhouse.  "Zeke Baylor," the basketball player who loves to bake, will be portrayed by Ben Thompson, who has appeared in the National Tour of Deaf West's Big River and was last seen in the new musical The Molly Maguires.Lizzie Weiss will play the hip-hop brainiac "Martha Cox."  Weiss earned her BA in Theatre from the University of California at Irvine and was an original cast member of the Atlanta Theatre of the Stars production of High School Musical.

This new touring stage adaptation of Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL will be directed by Jeff Calhoun (Big River).  HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL features a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini), and a score including all the songs from the original soundtrack, plus two new songs.  The choreographer is Lisa Stevens, scenic designer is Kenneth Foy, costume designer is Wade Laboissonniere, lighting designer is Kenneth Billington, sound designer is Duncan Robert Edwards and music supervisor is Bryan Louiselle.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL premiered in Canada on Astral Media's Family Channel on March 10, 2006.  An international smash hit, the Disney Channel Original Movie aired on 26 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide, reaching over 100 million viewers in over 100 countries.  It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store. "High School Musical" delivered the #1 album of 2006, the year's #1 TV movie on DVD, licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a best-selling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts in Anaheim, Orlando and shortly, Paris, a sold-out 42-date arena concert tour in North America (including Toronto's Air Canada Centre) and soon, Latin America, starring most of the cast, and a touring ice show premiering in late 2007.  Adding to its success, it won two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, a Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director's Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination.  Its soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category.  Its sequel, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, makes its Canadian Television Premiere on Family on Friday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m.  Walt Disney Studios announced it will develop a feature film based on the movie for release in 2008.
  
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL in Toronto:
Limited engagement from September 4 to 23, 2007
The Princess of Wales Theatre – 300 King Street West
 
Performance schedule is as follows:
Tuesday to Thursday 7:30 PM, Friday 8:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 & 8:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 & 6:30 PM
Tickets range from $32 - $84
 
Tickets now available
Call TicketKing at: 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333
Online Sales: www.mirvish.com
Group Orders: 416-593-4142 or 1-800-724-6420

To post a comment, you must register and login.