REVIEW
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON STAGE!
4-7 August 2022
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
Get’cha Head in the Game and get down to
The Palace Theatre’s production of
Disney’s High School Musical On Stage!
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON STAGE!
4-7 August 2022
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
Get’cha Head in the Game and get down to
The Palace Theatre’s production of
Disney’s High School Musical On Stage!
The school holidays may have just begun but for the Summer Youth Project performers the term has been extended for just a little longer.
The Summer Youth Project is open to anyone aged 9 to 19 and offers young people the opportunity to work with a professional creative team or even work with the Technical Team on the production. The project culminates in six performances at Southend’s Palace Theatre. Participants get to learn about theatre, make new friends, have fun and perform a stunning production in a professional theatre environment.
From what I saw from the first night performance, Thursday evening, you would never have believed that this whole production had been put on in just 2 weeks from start to finish. Director, Marc Mollica, choreographer, Douglas Yolland and MD, Paul Day have worked wonders with this cast of 90 youngsters who all get their chance to shine on the Palace Theatre's main stage.
High School Musical tells the story of Troy and Gabriella, who discover they are at the same school after originally finding themselves singing together New Year's Eve on holiday with their parents. There are echoes of Grease here and perhaps Romeo and Juliet, but High School Musical is far more saccharin and suitable for a younger generation, hence its huge popularity when it first aired on the Disney Channel with teen heartthrobs, Zac Effron and Vanessa Hudgens taking the lead roles in the 2006 hit movie.
Troy and Gabriella somehow find themselves auditioning for the latest school musical, Juliet and Romeo much to the disgust of self obsessed Drama Club President, Sharpay and her ever present, sidekick brother, Ryan. Added to the internal drama is the fact that Troy is star player of the Wildcats basketball team and Gabriella has such a good head for figures she is entered into a Scholastic Decathlon; and, guess what, auditions, basketball matches and decathlons all happen to be at the same time! Nobody panic!
Heading the cast of what seems like thousands are Reece Emery and Aimee Gingell playing sweethearts, Troy and Gabriella, and very fine performances they give indeed, with some lovely chemistry seeping through from the pair. Kiki Vaughn-White does a magnificent turn as the bossy Sharpay, also showing off some lovely comedy bones in her characterisation of the self absorbed, prima donna. Jacob Browne as her brother, Ryan, is fabulously camp and also wows later on in the show with some super impressive balletic moves. Lucy Burrows provides a lovely understated characterisation in the role of Kelsi and Thomas Stansfield emotionally roars as Coach Bolton. Sophie Morrison absolutely seizes the role of Ms Darbus, the whacky drama teacher, almost stealing the show and I loved Olly Harper's portrayal of DJ, Jack Scott, - what a great voice.
The main cast are all ably supported by a fabulous ensemble, each and every one of them staying in character throughout and proving that they are able to take on direction and stay focused; not easy when there are often almost 90 people on stage. The choreography is magnificent and just how did everyone get on stage just before the Stick to theStatus Quo number? Clever stuff. The creative team and crew have worked wonders with the staging, light and sound and Musical Director, Paul Day, had done a great job with the score and getting the best from these youngsters' voices.
You can see the sheer delight in the faces of the all the cast on stage in the final bows and encore when their voices boom in unison and this is reflected in the equally delighted audience's face, who were all up on their feet on opening night, to applaud this fantastic production. The whole Summer Youth Project team really are All In This Together, and their hard work and dedication really shows in this feel-good, fun-filled, high tempo show. Go Wildcats! And enjoy the rest of the run!
The Summer Youth Project is open to anyone aged 9 to 19 and offers young people the opportunity to work with a professional creative team or even work with the Technical Team on the production. The project culminates in six performances at Southend’s Palace Theatre. Participants get to learn about theatre, make new friends, have fun and perform a stunning production in a professional theatre environment.
From what I saw from the first night performance, Thursday evening, you would never have believed that this whole production had been put on in just 2 weeks from start to finish. Director, Marc Mollica, choreographer, Douglas Yolland and MD, Paul Day have worked wonders with this cast of 90 youngsters who all get their chance to shine on the Palace Theatre's main stage.
High School Musical tells the story of Troy and Gabriella, who discover they are at the same school after originally finding themselves singing together New Year's Eve on holiday with their parents. There are echoes of Grease here and perhaps Romeo and Juliet, but High School Musical is far more saccharin and suitable for a younger generation, hence its huge popularity when it first aired on the Disney Channel with teen heartthrobs, Zac Effron and Vanessa Hudgens taking the lead roles in the 2006 hit movie.
Troy and Gabriella somehow find themselves auditioning for the latest school musical, Juliet and Romeo much to the disgust of self obsessed Drama Club President, Sharpay and her ever present, sidekick brother, Ryan. Added to the internal drama is the fact that Troy is star player of the Wildcats basketball team and Gabriella has such a good head for figures she is entered into a Scholastic Decathlon; and, guess what, auditions, basketball matches and decathlons all happen to be at the same time! Nobody panic!
Heading the cast of what seems like thousands are Reece Emery and Aimee Gingell playing sweethearts, Troy and Gabriella, and very fine performances they give indeed, with some lovely chemistry seeping through from the pair. Kiki Vaughn-White does a magnificent turn as the bossy Sharpay, also showing off some lovely comedy bones in her characterisation of the self absorbed, prima donna. Jacob Browne as her brother, Ryan, is fabulously camp and also wows later on in the show with some super impressive balletic moves. Lucy Burrows provides a lovely understated characterisation in the role of Kelsi and Thomas Stansfield emotionally roars as Coach Bolton. Sophie Morrison absolutely seizes the role of Ms Darbus, the whacky drama teacher, almost stealing the show and I loved Olly Harper's portrayal of DJ, Jack Scott, - what a great voice.
The main cast are all ably supported by a fabulous ensemble, each and every one of them staying in character throughout and proving that they are able to take on direction and stay focused; not easy when there are often almost 90 people on stage. The choreography is magnificent and just how did everyone get on stage just before the Stick to theStatus Quo number? Clever stuff. The creative team and crew have worked wonders with the staging, light and sound and Musical Director, Paul Day, had done a great job with the score and getting the best from these youngsters' voices.
You can see the sheer delight in the faces of the all the cast on stage in the final bows and encore when their voices boom in unison and this is reflected in the equally delighted audience's face, who were all up on their feet on opening night, to applaud this fantastic production. The whole Summer Youth Project team really are All In This Together, and their hard work and dedication really shows in this feel-good, fun-filled, high tempo show. Go Wildcats! And enjoy the rest of the run!
Tickets are now on sale at palacetheatresouthend.co.uk