I really don’t get the mass hysteria and appeal of High School Musical. I mean, yeah, it’s “current” as far as musical style and story (not), but come on. I’d rather hear a well written traditional score than a poorly written contemporary one. It’s not even that “contemporary.” Spring Awakening’s score is way more current. And, hello, you can sing “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray over the chorus of “Status Quo.” Original? Not really. And that book. Sheesh, I’ve never heard any teenagers in our summer program speak like that. Ever. For me, the only saving graces are Sharpay and Ryan. They are so over-the-top and ridiculous that you can’t help but enjoy them. The other characters, not so much.
Believe me, I’m not saying that musicals are supposed to be the height of realism, but some things just don’t happen in real life, not even musical theatre real life. People auditioning for a show as a couple? Come on. Someone being shunned for playing the cello? Maybe in back woods Mississippi where they still walk to school barefoot, but at a contemporary, urban high school? I think not. Maybe my high school was weirdly ahead of its time, but in 1988, we did The Wiz and practically the entire school was in it, including most of the football and basketball team. So perhaps I just don’t “get it.”
Either way, I just don’t think it’s a well written piece. Even Grease, where you’d literally have to slip me a date-rape pill, hog tie me to a chair and ball gag me to sit through, at least has a tuneful score and tries to scratch (though barely) below the trite “peer-pressure-is-bad” message with references to teen pregnancy and underage drinking. Nothing in HSM even comes close to “We Go Together” (which “We’re all in This Together” is a terrible rip-off of), “Beauty School Drop-out” or “Worse Things I Can Do” as far as musical quality. “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” they are not, but they are solid musical theatre songs.
I know what you're thinking, "The kids love it. So who cares?" or "You're just an old fart" or maybe "F*ck you, I wanna' have Zac Efron's baby." Well get in line bitches. But really, why all the ranting? Why do I give a rats ass about HSM? Actually, I don’t, really. It’s just that now I’ll literally be bombarded by it for the next four months (I’m choreographing it for CDC Theatre), and I want to get all the hatred out of me before rehearsals start so I can smile and put on the happy face for all the kiddies in the cast. Trust me, I will in no way use this opportunity to display my HSM-phobic nature. On the contrary, I’m going to try my damn best to make the musical staging so ridiculously good that you won’t notice the material’s shortcomings. So I guess, in a way, HSM is inspiring me to do my best work. Yeah, that’s it. OK, now I think I can move on.
No comments:
Post a Comment