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Disney's High School Musical goes pro in
Australia
25th June
2008
By Simon Parris
Arielle Jacobs
as “Gabriella Montez” and John Jeffrey Martin as “Troy Bolton”
in the U.S. National Tour singing “Breaking Free”.
Photograph of the US National Tour by Michael Cooper
It has been
announced that a spectacular full-scale Australian production of
Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! will
open in Sydney at The Capitol Theatre on Saturday, 20 December,
2008. A national tour of eight cities will follow.
Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage!, which is based on the
smash-hit Disney Channel original Movie, has captivated a legion of
young fans since it premiered in Chicago in August 2007. Featuring
all the characters and chart-topping songs from the movie, Disney’s
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! expands on the original
work and includes two new numbers and a huge mega-mix finale.
“Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! has been taking the world by
storm so we’re thrilled to be mounting it in Australia,”
said co-producer Kevin Jacobsen of Jacobsen Presents. “With an
Australian cast playing the characters young people have grown to
love, we’re confident that this live, high-energy stage version will
be embraced by Australian audiences as their own,” added co-producer
Tim McFarlane of The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific.
The all-Australian
production will have a large touring company, including a 32-strong
cast of the country’s hottest young singers and dancers and a
pumping live band. The announcement of the cast will be made in
August with rehearsals to commence in Sydney in October.
Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! follows the story of
basketball captain Troy and the brainy but shy Gabriella who
discover they have a secret passion for singing. When they decide
to audition for the student musical it sends shockwaves through the
High School’s rigid social cliques. Troy’s basketball team,
Gabriella’s fellow science clubbers, even the drama regulars, do all
they can to keep the pair apart and off-stage. When Troy and
Gabriella defy their friends and family they inadvertently inspire
the other students to go public with their own secret talents and
dreams.
Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! is an infectious celebration
of both individualism and togetherness, with a story that says you
don’t have to change to be accepted, you just have to be yourself.
 The
stage musical’s key creative team includes David Simpatico who wrote
the book (an adaptation of Peter Barsocchini’s original TV movie
script), director Jeff Calhoun (whose credits include the
award-winning Broadway revivals of Grease and Big River),
choreographer Lisa Stevens and music producer and supervisor Bryan
Louiselle.
Following its
premiere in Chicago, Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on
Stage! has played sold out seasons in Boston, Toronto and Los
Angeles, and by the end of 2008 it will have played 42 cities in
the U.S. A current tour of the United Kingdom has broken all box
office records and future productions are scheduled for Spain,
Italy, France and Holland.
Steve Fickinger,
Vice President, Disney Theatrical Productions from New York said,
“The new stage version of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL has been delighting
audiences around the world, and we are thrilled to bring this
spectacular production to Australia. This is a perfect opportunity
for the whole family to come together and spend time with Troy,
Gabriella, and all their favourite Wildcats. This wonderful stage
show has all the songs, all the humour,
all the heart….and a few new surprises.”
Arielle Jacobs as “Gabriella Montez” and John Jeffrey Martin as
“Troy Bolton”
in the U.S. National Tour singing “Breaking Free”.
Photograph of the US National Tour by Michael Cooper
Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 have been record breakers
in Australia. The premiere of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 in September
2007 on Disney Channel was subscription TV’s highest rating telecast
of any kind with children aged 5-15. It propelled the Disney
Channel to its highest rated day ever with an average audience of
313,976, a 134% increase over the average audience for the June 2006
premiere of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. The success continues with the DVD
sales, with HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL the number 1 selling Direct to Video
movie of all time, selling over 250,000 copies to date followed by
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 with over 190,000 units sold in only 15 weeks
of release. The original soundtrack through Walt Disney Records
reached #1 on the ARIA National Album Chart and #4 with the HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 soundtrack, with both soundtracks being accredited
with Platinum Sales in Australia.
Disney’s HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL – Live on Stage! will be produced by Jacobsen
Presents and The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific who have
individually presented some of the most successful stage productions
in Australia including Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the
Opera, Dirty Dancing and Cats. Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL – Live on Stage! is presented in association with
Disney Theatrical Productions.
The season
commences at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on 20 December 2008. Tickets
are on sale Friday 27 June from Ticketmaster.
Stay tuned for
more details about the cast and dates for the Australian tour.
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