High School Musical AT THE LOWRY
A nostalgic, exciting production that will leave you soaring…flying!
Flashback to 2006 and young adults and big kids everywhere are going crazy for a new Disney Channel Original Musical Movie named High School Musical. The movie starred Zac Efron in one of his first breakout performances as well as other stars such as Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu. The movie exploded onto the scene and was smashing viewing figures on the Disney Channel and entering the official music charts which later spurred another two movies, a concert, a Disney+ spin off TV series and many more. Due to the films huge worldwide success it is no surprise that a live on-stage adaptation toured across the US and the UK in 2007/8, however the production never really found its feet and hasn’t really been attempted again outside of a school or amateur dramatics capacity. That is until now, when The Lowry have created a brand new revival of the musical in celebration of the franchises 20th anniversary.
As 20 years have now passed since the launch of High School Musical, I was unsure whether the production would still be relevant and translate to a modern audience and wondered whether the show would now appear to look cheesy and tacky. What I discovered was definitely a lot of cheese, but no tack! This was a polished production, showcasing the very best in Musical Theatre performances and staging.
When entering the auditorium, I was immediately impressed with the vast scale of the stage. The Lowry have made full use of their large stage area and turned the entire performing space into a basketball court, complete with large TV screens scanning the audience for Mexican waves and Wild Cat Claws! Either side of the stage sits bleachers with even more audience members watching the show from the stage itself. I could quickly see how this production would work well when it transfers to the immersive, Troubadour Theatre later in the year. As the show progresses the only issue I had with the full use of the wide stage for the basketball court is that despite sitting reasonably close to the stage quite a lot of the action was performed at the back of the space on a balcony or at the lockers at the back of the stage which made the performers feel quite distant at times.
Before the production even begins we are introduced to the cheerleaders of East High who teach the audience a quick bit of cheer choreography that is later used in several parts of the show. I thought this was a nice touch, you could see the superfans in the finale trying to remember the choreography and dance along with the cast which made the performance feel even more intimate. When the show does begin the sound is at a loud but comfortable level and immediately I was transported back to being a fan of the franchise 20 years ago. The show opens with a high energy cheer routine, complete with Wild Cat mascot, and the pace very rarely slows down until the end of the show.
The choreography throughout the production was extremely impressive, the dances were very quick, modern, and slick. Choreographer, Aaron Renfree has done an excellent job of ensuring this production sits in present day, the choreography is stylish, fun and unique to the production. I was pleased to see that none of the films original choreography made its way to the show, solidifying that this production was its own entity and not a copy of the films. Though somewhat disappointed that I couldn’t show off my “We’re All in This Together” choreography skills at the end of the show that I can still remember!
An absolutely perfect casting choice in this production was Kaycee Stroh returning to the franchise as Ms Darbus. Kaycee was in the original High School Musical movies playing the role of Martha Cox, who although was a smaller role in the movies, made a big impact with fans for her “pop, lock and jam and break” dance moves during the number, “Stick to the Status Quo”. Kaycee embodied the role of Ms Darbus perfectly, she played her in the style that we all know and love from the movie, eccentric, melodramatic and highly theatrical whilst still making the role her own. I couldn’t help thinking that this must have been a surreal moment for Kaycee, playing someone she worked with and knows well, but it was extremely charming to witness and a really nice touch. It was even better during the finale, when Ms Darbus takes her bow and is given a moment to pay tribute to Martha Cox by breaking into a few hip-hop moves, prompting a huge roar from the audience.
Another stand out performance comes from Curtis Patrick playing the role of Jack Scott, a character not in the original franchise at all and only featuring in the stage production. Jack is the announcer at East High and narrates each new scene with a hilarious introduction. He is dressed as the stereotypical high school geek and is completely endearing throughout. Curtis is obviously a skilled comedic performer, each line was delivered with excellent comedy timing and huge energy. Though this is a character not known to most fans, he quickly gained new fans by the end of the night and solidified himself as my personal favourite character of the show. The only thing I would have liked to have seen was a chance for Jack to have his own solo lines in more of the ensemble numbers to let him have more of a moment to shine!
Playing the iconic Sharpay and Ryan Evans was Caitlin Tipping and Luke Bayer. Both of them had excellent chemistry on stage and gave strong vocal performances. They were able to play the roles of diva and spoilt siblings without being unlikeable. They both wore lavish and over the top costumes which glittered in the lights and suited their egocentric characters. However, I could see the line of Bayer’s wig on his forehead quite clearly from where I was sat and was confused why a blonde wig was required for a performer with already blonde hair, but nonetheless I could easily look past this decision as it wasn’t an important flaw and didn’t take away from their excellent performances. They both gave brilliant comedic performances and were completely convincing as the students who would normally be the first choice for the leading roles in every East High musical production.
Leading the production as Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are Tobias Turley and Leonor Correia. Both of them portray the lovestruck couple brilliantly. Tobias is incredibly charming and likeable, with an impressive vocal range that allows him to hit even the highest notes with ease. This is particularly evident in the famous number “Breaking Free”, which is notably high for a male vocalist to sing. In fact, Zac Efron’s vocals were dubbed by Drew Seeley for many of the higher moments in the original film, as Seeley was able to comfortably reach those notes. Tobias, however, could hit all of the notes with ease and made it look effortless. It was equally impressive to witness him, and the basketball players, deliver an incredibly complicated choreographed dance, complete with basketballs during “Getcha Head in the Game”. Not a single basketball was lost underneath any legs, rolling off the stage or bouncing into the audience and was delivered with extremely slick precision. Tobias is a natural on the stage, he clearly loves what he does which resonates and makes him very enjoyable to watch. Leonor is equally as charming as Gabriella and also has a fantastic singing voice and her gentle nature makes you warm to her easily. Unfortunately, Gabriella as a character is never really given a standout moment. While she has opportunities to showcase her impressive vocal and dancing abilities, the character itself lacks excitement and comedic moments that would allow her to make a stronger impact. She is also given very few opportunities to perform solo, ultimately leaving you wanting more from the character. That being said, Leonor’s performance was strong, charming and highly likeable.
Though the day we attended was the last night of the show at The Lowry, it was the first day that Harry Judd of McFly fame joined the production, replacing Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton before taking on this role full time when it transfers to London. I’m not sure if it was just first day nerves but the performance did feel a little flat and was unfortunately the only disappointing casting choice of the show. Though there is no doubt that Harry Judd is talented and can certainly sing and play the drums, his performance as Coach Bolton felt very timid and inexpressive. It was also noticeable in the finale that he hadn’t quite yet picked up the choreography to the same level as his cast mates and looked a little clumsy. This casting choice therefore feels to me like celebrity stunt casting in order to sell more tickets to the show, rather than casting someone more suitable to the role.
Overall, the production is a brilliantly nostalgic and fun evening at the Theatre. Don’t go expecting to be deeply moved or to be intellectually challenged, this is not that kind of show. Instead, it delivers plenty of fun, a generous helping of cheese and some fantastic performances, and sometimes that is exactly all you need for an entertaining night out! I hope the production enjoys a successful run at the Troubadour in London and Bops right to the Top. If you’re looking for a feel-good evening packed with nostalgia and cheese, then go and get yourselves some tickets, the show opens in London in October!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
SEAT REVIEW
Venue: The Lowry
Seat location: Stalls, Row K, Seat 19.
This was my first time visiting this theatre, and I was thoroughly impressed. The rows have plenty of space between them, so you never feel cramped, and the seats are extremely well padded and incredibly comfortable. The view of the stage from this seat was also perfect. There’s an aisle nearby, along with plenty of exits throughout the auditorium, which meant the crowds dispersed very quickly after the performance. The toilet facilities were also excellent, with plenty of cubicles, so the queues moved quickly. Overall, I was extremely impressed with this theatre and would definitely be happy to return.
