View from the Green Room: Hoppin’ and boppin’ High School Musical
On stage at Garter Lane for David Hennessy Stage School's production of High School Musical. Photo: Joe Evans
Garter Lane was packed and hopping with a high energy hoppin’ and boppin’ performance of the popular High School Musical from David Hennessy’s Stage School.
The young cast served up a great evening’s entertainment of comedy, singing and dancing on a simple but huge stage footprint that coped with the large cast. And yes, there were times when the stage was crowded but the fun and level of performances more than compensated.
This is a great choice of show for teenagers as the show centres on the trials of a high school as they gear up to perform their annual school show.
This time up, it’s ‘Juliet and Romeo’ – a feminist interpretation of the Bard’s tragedy, where the star-crossed lovers survive and go to live in Albuquerque!
Aw shucks…but that’s showbiz folks.
It’s a script that is full of teen-speak with dismissive hair-flicks and on-yer-sleeve emotions and social-media comments… "I don’t speak cheerleader…Ah Doh!" with no end of "what ifs" and "whatevers".
There are some splendid acting and singing performances in the production. Alex Brophy gives his best performance to date as Troy Bolton the basketball star who really wants to try his hand at acting. Alex sings and acts with conviction and is a natural leading man.
Sophie Tubritt (who alternates with Leah Barden) also shone as the attractive, brainy girlfriend Gabriella Montez and their duets delight.
Casey Murtagh Stafford is a funny, conniving, manipulative Sharpay Evans, the sassy, self-interested rival who regards the dramatic society as her personal fiefdom.
Danny White Keane is very convincing and appealing as Sharpay’s not-quite-clever-enough twin Ryan, who often knits the plot together for us.
Kitty O’Connor Dwyer is convincing as Troy’s conflicted friend Chad Danforth, who wrestles between her loyalty to the team and her friendship with Troy.
Megan Cronin O’Shea shone as Gabriella’s friend Taylor McKessie, who mirrors Chad’s conflict of loyalty to her pal Gabriella and her Science Olympians. Falling in love is never easy but, ultimately, always rewarding.
The Jocks, the Brainiacs and the Thespians, along with the Cheerleaders, bring us the dynamic of a whole school community at work and at play and the tug-of-love between shouty Coach Bolton (Dylan Ryan) and sarcastic drama coach Mrs Darbus (Lily Haley) adds friendly banter in a conflict that really holds the interest and drives the plot forward.
Director/Choreographer David Hennessy really moves his show along and injects lots of energy and pzazz into dance routines at East Hill High. The Cheerleaders routine is full of pumpin’ poms and high kicks, while basketball routines bring a difference to the dance routines.
All of the big numbers… "Start of Something New", "Stick to the Status Quo", "Bop to the Top" and "We're All in This Together" are full of punch and attack, while the final curtain mega-mix simply pulsed with a high-octane energy that was infectious and brought the audience to its feet.
Costumes by Avril Musgrave are just right and the glitz of the big numbers lifts the show. David Hayes’s musical direction gave us a very secure cast that belts out the big numbers.
On a bitterly cold and wet night, High School Musical keeps us warm.
