Review: High School Musical

Anyone who has ever been involved with putting on a high school production of a musical knows they can be nerve wracking and tension-ridden experiences but ultimately more fun than a roller coaster ride. That's the spirit behind High School Musical an energetic and entertaining stage adaptation of the hit TV movie.

David Simpatico has adapted Peter Barsocchini's screenplay to the stage where thanks to Jeff Calhoun's swift-moving direction the scenes unfold in cinematic style. From the moment the curtain rises to reveal the students of East High School singing and dancing their way to class, right through the final curtain call the energy never wavers. If you can get past the sitcom styled book and generic pop tunes, the high energy of the troupe of talented performers will win out.

Head of the class is John Jeffrey Martin as star basketball player Troy Bolton. He sings sweetly, dances smoothly, and handles a basketball like a pro but also brings sincerity to the role creating a believable character and generating genuine sparks with his leading lady. She is a talented newcomer, Arielle Jacobs, playing newly transferred brainiac Gabriella Montez. Though the script gives her less to work with, she too manages to create a three-dimensional portrait of a rather shy girl intimidated by her own knowledge and wanting desperately just to fit with her peers.

These peer groups of fellow students are divided into three cliques: the jocks, the brainiacs and the thespians. The unwritten rule is that any attempt at cross-pollination is to be thwarted. A few of the secondary performers bring sparkle to the proceedings. Shaullanda LaCombe is given a few chances to show off her amazing voice as Gabiella's new best friend. She is matched with Shakiem Evans as Troy's buddy and their voices intertwine so effectively that you wish these characters were given more to do, but then perhaps less is more.

That old adage should certainly apply to Chandra Lee Schwartz who is hilariously over-the-top as the conniving Sharpay, determined to hang onto her star spot as head of the drama club.  Despite a brief attempt in the second act to justify her actions, this is essentially a cartoon character with an oversized personality and Schwartz tries hard to make it work. Maybe she tries too hard because the character becomes irritating very quickly. As her abused twin brother Ryan, Bobby List camps his way through the show while Michael Mahany as the student DJ, Jack Scott is used for little more than making announcements. Perhaps these two roles could be combined into one character even if it means reducing the student population.

The student body brings panache to Lisa Stevens' enervating choreography. It is when the singing and dancing stop and the plot takes over where things get as sticky as a high school cafeteria floor. The story has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. The songs are pretty cheesy as well, created not as a unified score but written by committee. It took 13 people to come up with the songs in High School Musical, none of which are demandingly memorable. It does seem strange that a show about creating an original high school musical based on Romeo and Juliet and featuring two star-crossed lovers in the central roles should have so little passion.  Yet thanks to the enthusiastic performances and slick production values High School Musical is energetically entertaining. If nothing else, it proves that putting on a musical can be fun.

High School Musical continues at the Princess of Wales theatre until September 23. Performances are at 7:30 Tuesdays thru Thursdays, 8 PM Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 on Sundays with a 2 PM matinee on Saturdays and a 1PM matinee on Sundays. For tickets visit www.mirvish.com or call Ticketking at 416-872-1212.

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