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Disney’s High School Musical the musical is playing for a short season during summer 2008

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High School Musical - what do kids think of it? July 7, 2008

Posted by Linda in : High School Musical , add a comment

There’s a great review of High School Musical on the BBC Press packers site. Press Packer Eve, age 11, writes a really good, informative review. On the whole she quite enjoyed her night at the theatre and gives the show 3 out of 5.

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Her main problems with the show are:

It’s very American and Eve wonders why there aren’t more British shows on ( We agree!)

We’ve seen the plot too many times before, especially in Grease and Hairspray. Eve thinks that both of these have better songs. (Spot on again!)

However, she thinks that the audience were really enjoying the show and that the acting, singing and dancing were of a very high standard. Eve says:

On the whole, I think it was a very good and enjoyable performance and I can see the actors and directors worked very hard and put a lot of effort into it.

I would recommend this show to an age group of 5 to 14.

Presspackers

Most older reviewers just seem to be amazed by the audience reactions to the show and Beatlemania keeps cropping up as a description. Not very accurate, of course, given most Beatles fans were over 14, maybe they’ve forgotten the Bay City Rollers and the teenyboppers of the 70s. Or even the terrors of Girl Power which is a bit more recent :-)

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High School Musical - “It’s like Beatlemania!” July 5, 2008

Posted by Linda in : High School Musical, dates, news , 1 comment so far

Disney’s High School Musical opened in London on June 30th for six weeks at the Hammersmith Apollo after a hugely successful tour which has proved wildly popular with the target pre-teen audience. During the previews the management had to erect barriers at the stage door to protect the cast from over-excited pre-teens.

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A spokesman for the production said:

“We always knew the show would be popular but the fan reaction has to be seen to be believed. It is like mini-Beatlemania.

He went on to explain that the end of the show cannons fire sparkly confetti over the auditorium. They had planned special arrangements to clean it up but these haven’t been needed as:

within two minutes it has completely disappeared because children are stashing it away in their pockets as a souvenir.

Cast

Mark Henry-Evans : Troy

Claire-Marie Hall : Gabriella

Letitia Dean : Mrs Darbus.

Dates

June 30th - August 2nd

High School Musical with microphone (Wii)

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Theatre Breaks in London with the kids - top 5 shows this summer. June 20, 2008

Posted by Linda in : Grease, High School Musical, Musicals, joseph, lion king, opinion, theatre breaks in London, wicked , add a comment

A theatre break in London with the kids sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? There’s so much to do and see in London, even in a British summer. The hotels aren’t too expensive and you can book the whole thing, show tickets, 2 or 3 nights hotel, extras as an all in one package, you can even include the return rail fare. If your children are over the age of 3 you should be able to find a show to suit your family.

So which shows do you go to see?

It really depends on the age of the children and their interests.
Don’t be put off by worries that the shows will all be sold out, companies that sell packages often have good, reasonably priced tickets for hit shows when no one else does.

The Lion King

The Lion King is pure Disney and one of the best shows for mixed ages. The Lion King is so much more than the cartoon. The story is simple and familiar but the spectacle and the power of the live music makes it really something special. Ideal for boys, girls, and just about anyone who likes animals!It is long though and that partly explains the age restrictions (see below).

Ideal for 7 plus, below 7 use your discretion but be realistic. Under 4s will not be admitted to the theatre. They are quite strict about this.

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Joseph

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version of the biblical story is a family classic. Good for mixed ages the show has plenty of action, strong, well-known songs and is performed by a lively, young cast. Joseph was originally written for children the show keeps their interest well but has enough going on to keep the adults involved too. If you want to see Lea Mead you should know he will be on holiday 28th July - 5th August 2008.

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Wicked

Wicked is ideal for those of you with pre and early teen girls. They will love it! The story is set in Oz before Dorothy gets there and sets out to explain why Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of The West is so wicked and so very green. Wicked sets the record straight about that poor, misunderstood witch. It has some sinister moments but nothing too scary. There aren’t any stated age restrictions but use your judgement. It is very, very long.

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High School Musical

High School Musical - this is one that anyone between 8 and 16 will know more about than you do!Based on a hit TV series this is the story of Troy, a popular high school basketball star, and Gabriella, a shy, academically gifted newcomer, who discover they share a secret passion for singing. Lively, fun, and very American this is one that the kids (and the adults!) will either love or hate. This is the one they are likely to think is ‘cool’ to see and to brag about.

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Grease

We all know the story of Sandy the goody two-shoes from Australia who falls in love with bad boy Danny Zuko over the summer holiday and their reunion at Rydell High School. The songs from Grease are classics and they are sung with great energy by this lively cast. Best for 10 plus the story and music will appeal to both boys and girls. If you want to see Ray Quinn (X-Factor) remember he’s on holiday 19th-25th of August.

  • Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Matinees: Sat 3:00pm
  • Evenings:Monday to Thurs - 7.30pm, Fri - 8.30pm, Sat - 7.30pm

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    Top Tips

    The Shows To Avoid

    High School Musical Latest News. March 25, 2008

    Posted by admin in : High School Musical , add a comment

    High School Musical, the Disney smash hit, will open at the Hammersmith Apollo on June 30th. It has a limited run of only six weeks so you need to book soon if you want tickets.

    Performance times:

    Tues - Sat: 7.30pm
    Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun: 3pm

    The plot

    Based on the Disney film, High School Musical tells the story of two high school students Troy Bolton, the popular high school basketball star, and Gabriella Montez, a shy bookworm, who discover their shared passion for singing - and then try out for lead parts in their high school musical. Their friends do everything they can to stop this happening. The ‘jocks’ and the ‘brainiacs’ hatch plots to keep Troy and Gabriella from sharing the stage and mayhem and misunderstandings abound.
    High School Musical is all about popularity, first love and balancing education with fun, and the value of family and friends.

    Characters

  • Troy: Captain of the basketball team
  • Chad: Troy’s basketball buddy
  • Gabriella: She’s a genius at maths and science and she’s new in the school.
  • Taylor: Brainiac extraordinaire and friend of Gabriella
  • Sharpay: Queen of the Drama Club
  • Ryan: Sharpay’s cool jazz loving brother

    • Introducing Hayley Griffiths

    Understudying the female lead, Sharpay, will be Teeside lass Hayley Griffiths. Hayley, 20, is a total newcomer to the West End and graduated from Laine Theatre Arts, Epsom last July. Probably their most famous graduate is Victoria Beckham.
    Hayley had to do four auditions for the understudy role and she will make her
    debut in the ensemble on June 28 . The show runs for ten weeks. Hailey said:

    “I had to sing in front of 10 American producers who had the last word - it was nerve racking. All my friends had heard back but I hadn’t so I thought I hadn’t got through, so I came home.”

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