[Monsieur D'Arque]

After much badgering, i watched the film High School Musical last night. I have four good things to say about it.

1. Unrealistic as it was, this movie has made doing theatre cool again, and non-theatre-blooded people will consider trying it now. Whether or not this is good, i.e. whether or not theatre belongs to the theatre devotees or to the masses, is a different question.

2. The movie made me smile nine times and laugh three. Not very good for a ninety-minute movie, but that's a few more than Schindler's List did.

3. The movie was best when no one was singing. While I didn't find the musical numbers offensive, merely forgettable, the cheesy dialogue was stronger than the songs.

4. Contrary to popular belief, this movie will not kill musical theatre forever.

Now for the rant.

Alright, I'll start with the Sharpay/Ryan character/characters (one could debate that they are only one character, since Ryan has no personality whatsoever). I was squirming and deciding whether or not to laugh every time they were on. Their characterization would have been wonderful for a parody of "theatre kids," but upon watching, i realized that they were not a parody at all- Disney was feeding them to us as real characters. Ryan, in particular, was the worst of all theatre sterotypes- both gay and Jim Carrey at once. Their audition number would have been the best parody of cheesy musical-theatre I'd ever seen, except that it just wasn't a parody. The whole movie teetered on the edge of self-parody but wasn't brave enough to jump over. It would have been the ultimate in camp- theatre folk pretending to be "the masses" discussing theatre folk, but for every funny moment poking fun at us dramatics, the movie tried to be serious and have a "realistic" plot. If they had thrown that out the window and embraced absurdity, it would have been much better than it was.

I'm not going to complain about the musical numbers, since I don't remember most of them. The only time they "worked" for me in this film was when the characters would realistically be singing, or when, in a movie (not even a movie musical), you would get characters singing. The karaoke thing? Cut it. The bitcy breakup song Gabriella sings? Cut it. Maybe even the basketball thing- if it were a dream sequence, it would fit, but otherwise it's too out there. As the only true theatre person, I was the only one to catch the theatre-referencing and parody of "Status Quo," with its musical references to "You Can't Stop The Beat" and parodies of coming out of the closet, which is by now a theatrical stereotype. Also memorable was the Sharpay/Ryan audition sequence, which i squirmed through, awkwardly remembering overly campy performances I'd seen in the past. "In This Together" is just an end-credits song anyway, and how many times have we seen films that end with the characters partying and singing? I think it's as common as a blooper reel.

In all, I'm not furious that this movie exists. I just hope people capitalize on its popularity with better movie musicals.


PS: One final note? Ryan's hats made him look like Toad from Super Mario Brothers. I kept expecting him to say "Thank you, Mario, but the Princess is in another castle."

[jonvaljohn]

I'm not entirely sure Status Quo was written as a coming-out parody. Disney is actually pretty adamant about not making such references in their TV movies. In fact, in the sequel (yes, there's a sequel; I'm sorry), Ryan has a female love-interest (Disney's response to speculation about his orientation).

Aside from all that, I pretty much agree with everything you've written. Although, I'm surprised not to read a response to the ickiness of having Ryan and Sharpay sing love songs for their auditions.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

That's the thing. every attempt at parody in the film comes out half-baked, such as the infamous line "i bake." It's not quite a coming-out reference or parody, because it fails in its delivery, but you can tell it was intended, at some point, to be one.

And as for Ryan's sexuality or lack thereof, if they were afraid of the fire coming down, they shouldn't have made him so camp. He giggled and blushed about Ashton Kucher.

[SuperKabob]

I have been inspired.

All of the lines about failed self-parodying made me think, what if someone could pull it off AS a parody? I mean, I hate the show, and my school has decided to do it ( ) Would it make a decent show making fun of itself? I think I'll talk to our director and see what he thinks.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

Yeah. If played with a nudge nudge, wink wink attitude, it would be hysterical. The only times in this entire film that that sort of self-referential mockery came out was in the "What I've Been Looking For" dance sequence, with the intentionally bad choreography and argument over the validity of jazz squares, and the discussion of Michael Crawford in the refrigerator.

[SuperKabob]

That would make the show much more fun to do, execpt the people at my school take it for face value. Hardly any of them could say who Michael Crawford is.

On a sidenote, the jazz squares think was pretty much the only time I laughed during the movie, as my freind and I have an ongoing joke about them.

[Salome]

The film is just as bad...actrually worse than the film "Camp". at least Camp had a few real theatre songs...bad as the script and the acting was. (except Anna Kendrick, who really should have a medal for acting in that crap.)

[what_the_heck013]

[Luc]

[I Love Lockstock]

The thing about High School Musical is that it's not really bad. It's light, airy, fluffy, fun! A good watch. No one dies, no one is sad. You end up rooting for someone.

I think all of us theatre elitists just snub it cause it's made theatrical teeny-boppers.

[shadowdancer]

[jazzygirlsings]

[newbiedirector]

So I FINALLY got the time to sit and watch this cheesy ball of mush musical. I have some thoughts. I'm not afraid to admit that I found some sort of indulgent satisfaction in watching this movie. I could totally see myself as a jr high or high schooler watching it over and over, fantasizing that drama and music would become socially acceptable and that me, the scholastic bowl geek, could even get the basketball star.

I also have to say that getting kids to buy into the notion that you can like more than one thing and break stereotypes is a great feat. Our HS students love this junk!

As a director, I am now considering this for next year. #1, to get lots of kids involved, but #2 to try to make it a little more fun for theater kids than the movie made it. I completely agree that Sharpay and Ryan should be PARODIES of theater kids--they need to learn not to take themselves so seriously and that's a great chance:) I think there is a lot of opportunity to step them up a notch and they could even steal the show!

What do you think? Should I go for it next year? The funny thing is, we DO have a cheerleader and basketball cool kid who stepped up and tried out for our show this year, and it's Into the Woods, not Disney fluff.

[Sweeney Hyde]

[The Drama Queen]

About the Disney movie-musical comments- Disney has been working on an animated movie-musical of Rapunzel, and currently Kristin Chenoweth is contracted for doing at least the singing voice of Rapunzel. I think it's supposed to come out around 2009 so it'll still be a while. So they haven't given up on the classics

[Salome]

ugh. Cheno again?? someone kill that voice of hers.

[The Drama Queen]

Better than it being Idina Menzel...

[Monsieur D'Arque]

And guess who Cheno's working with? Spelling Bee's Dan Fogler. Fun.

[Salome]

[The Drama Queen]

[Psy4Potato]

I'm not going to lie.....I loved the movie. Ryan and Sharpay are my fav. characters.....I think it's not ment to be a Broaway show....it's made for teens....and I personally loved it.

I'm excited, though I expect you all not to be...they're making a sequal. I read in some paper that as soon as Zach is done with Hairspray, they are filming it.

[Salome]