The next in what looks to be a long line in TV talent searches begins this month as producers hunt for a Troy Bolton to star in High School Musical 2.
The first installment of Disney’s High School Musical was a monster hit this summer, when a national tour ran concurrently with a production at the Hammersmith Apollo. Kids clamoured to see Disney’s TV movie phenomenon take to the stage, while adults filled cinemas to see stage success Mamma Mia! as it hit the big screen. Despite some damning comments for the productions themselves, it was hard for even the harshest critics not to be caught up in the electric atmosphere of being in a room with 2,000 excited pre-teens.
With the hype of last summer over, the adult memory recalls little but the shortcomings of High School Musical. The Hammersmith production suffered from appalling acoustics, and the worldwide High School Musical stage phenomenon was widely branded as a product rather than a production. Now it’s time for the second episode. Will the critic’s be as kind this time round? After all, apart from the plot, it’s all been seen before.
As Andrew Lloyd Webber might also be about to find out, a musical sequel must be hard to market. Certainly, High School Musical 2 matched its predecessor’s on screen success, but it looks unlikely that the same will happen on stage. After all, there is a recession on. This could be why High School Musical 2 is resorting to that most failsafe marketing tool to drum the show into the nation’s hearts before it has even begun.
High School Musical 2
The touring production of High School Musical 2 opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre in August. Unlike last year’s two shows, it is rumoured that one production of High School Musical 2 will tour the UK before ending with a limited London theatre run. The search for Troy Bolton begins on GMTV at the end of this month, with the winner being announced at the beginning of May.
