TANGENTS by John Saccenti: The excitement of a ‘High School Musical’

Disney phenomenon takes to the stage

By: John Saccenti
   The lights dimmed and I settled into my seat. To my right I could see the reflection of stage lights dancing across the faces of my daughter and her friend. It got quiet, and anticipation took on a life of its own.
   And then it happened. Kids, some who may have been as young as 6, and others who were clearly in high school (there were even a few parents), shuffled across the stage. Music played (it was a song I’d heard more than a few times before) and the show began — again.
   If you’re like me, the parent of a young girl addicted to the Disney Channel, then you’ve probably heard of "High School Musical." This entertainment juggernaut debuted earlier this year and has since gone to play repeatedly on the channel. There are several versions — the regular movie version, a sing-a-long version, and a dance-a-long version, which includes small intermissions where the actors and actresses take watchers step-by-step through very complicated dances. It’s soundtrack hit number one and I’m pretty sure I saw the cast in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There also are plans to have it take Broadway by storm.
   In short, it’s been practically impossible for me to avoid. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a cute movie about high school kids who sing and dance their way toward acceptance by their peers by chasing their dreams. The songs are catchy, the dancing is good and it doesn’t talk down to the viewers, making it a nice change of pace from most television.
   I like it. But after multiple viewings I just didn’t think I needed to see it again — ever. But on Dec. 3, I found myself in the Crossroads South theater waiting for the New Jersey Repertory Theatre’s version of "High School Musical."
   It turns out that I didn’t mind seeing it again. In fact, I had a great time, mostly because of the theater group.
   NJRT is a nonprofit organization that features performers who are as young as 6. The group’s Performance Troupe has appeared at Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World in Orlando and Six Flags Great Adventure.
   What I like most about NJRT is that it allows people with little or no experience the chance to perform. That rough edge was one of the things that made the performance so good.
   Not everything was perfect (nothing ever is) but every single person on stage (and there were a lot of them) sang and danced hard. There was an energy, and it was obvious that the performers loved being up there, and even more obvious that they’d worked hard to get there.
   The cast I saw had several South Brunswick students, including Cassie Guadelupe as Gabriella. Cassie is a sophomore and boy can she sing. Wow. I also like that Jessica Stanislawczyk and her parents, Dave Stanislawczyk and Crossroads South language arts teacher Jenny Stanislawczyk, were part of the production. Kind of inspires me to get my family out for auditions and rehearsals for the next show (fat chance of that happening).
   I also liked that a huge part of the cast was kids, some the same age as my daughter, some younger. It was clear that they were just excited to be there, and anyone watching could see that they took their responsibility seriously.
   It was thanks to them and the general feeling that everyone involved loved what they were doing that suddenly made watching "High School Musical" yet again not so bad. In fact, it was downright fun.
John Saccenti is news editor for The Cranbury Press and the South Brunswick Post. He can be reached at [email protected].