Seattle Gets Limited Premiere Engagement of High School Musical

DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is based on the 2006 Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel Original Movie. The touring company, which is scheduled to play 42 cities during 60 weeks in the United States and Canada, includes a live orchestra and a cast of 34 performers.

Some may remember this satirical “spoof” on the Internet about how conservative critics were charging that High School Musical was “Turning Kids Gay” and part of the homosexual agenda. And Thomas Kraemer in his blog discussed the science behind High School Musical’s gayness.

High School Musical is a contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a secret….passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High’s rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the “jocks,” the “brainiacs” and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage. By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, however, the couple inspires other students to go public….with some surprising hidden talents of their own.

…Sorry girls, Zac is not coming to Seattle…

The basketball team captain, “Troy Bolton,” will be played by John Jeffrey Martin, whose Broadway credits include Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray and Good Vibrations. Starring opposite Martin as the shy, academic student “Gabriella Montez” will be Arielle Jacobs. Jacobs’ theatre credits include Crazy for You, A Chorus Line and Cinderella, and her film credits include The Stepford Wives and Water Lilies.

Veteran actor, Ron Bohmer, will portray Troy’s father and Wildcat’s basketball coach, “Coach Bolton.” Bohmer is known for his Broadway and National tour credits including The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Phantom of the Opera, The Woman in White, Aspects of Love, Fiddler on the Roof and Sunset Boulevard.

Troy’s best friend, “Chad Danforth,” will be played by Shakiem Evans who most recently appeared as “Eddie” in Broadway’s Mamma Mia! Evans’ Off-Broadway credits include Two Gentlemen of Verona and Fame.

Photo from the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.
In the movie Zeke is portrayed by Chris Warren, Jr. (above)
Ben Thompson will portray Zeke for the stage version.

“Zeke Baylor,” the basketball player and closet baking enthusiast will be portrayed by Ben Thompson, who has appeared in the National Tour of Deaf West’s Big River and was last seen in the new musical The Molly Maguires.

Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said:

Our stage version of this great property has been mounted as a direct response to overwhelming demand.

The whole phenomenon that is “High School Musical” is mind boggling. It premiered on Disney Channel U.S. on January 20, 2006, and posted the highest ratings for a Disney Channel Original Movie up until that time. It went on to become a smash hit internationally, airing on 27 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide, thus far reaching more than 250 million viewers in an excess of 100 countries including China. It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store.

High School Musical delivered the #1 album of 2006, the year’s #1 TV movie on DVD, licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a best-selling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris, a sold-out 42 date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America and a popular touring ice show around the world.

Add to that, two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director’s Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination among other honors. Its soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category.

Its sequel, High School Musical 2, ranks as the #1 basic cable telecast of all time (18.6 million viewers for its August 17, 2007 premiere) and has thus far been seen by 179 million total viewers around the world. Its soundtrack is quadruple Platinum in the U.S., triple Platinum in the UK and many more countries. It recently won an American Music Award.

OK, I think you get the idea.

The performance schedule for the Seattle engagement at The Paramount Theatre is very limited:

Tuesday – Friday, May 20 – 23 @ 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 24 @ 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 25 @ 1:00 pm & 6:30 pm

Ticket prices for HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL range from $20 – $67. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster or better yet at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).