Disney released the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL soundtrack on CD on January 10, 2006, more than a week before the made-for-cable movie first appeared on The Disney Channel. Overnight, the soundtrack became a staple at teenybopper slumber parties. Preteens flocked to music stores to pick up the disc, which quickly claimed the Number-One position on the BILLBOARD charts.
Heck, with quite possibly the most disposable income of any demographic group, young adolescents have become a purchasing force to be reckoned with!
As these youngsters cranked up the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL tunes, they sang and danced and acted out scenes from the show.
THE MUSICAL
Although the show is set in a fictional high school, and the story involves teenagers, it has appealed most to pre-adolescents. Teen wannabees cannot get enough of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.
The new campy classic, reminiscent of 1978's GREASE, relates a story of popular basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and brainy new student Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens). Both are naturally gifted singers, although each is reluctant to step up and try out for the school's winter musical. Athlete Troy feels torn between the team and his artistic talent. Shy scholar Gabriella struggles to juggle the academic Scholastic Decathlon and her newfound dramatic interests. True to form, these two opposites find themselves attracted to one another.
At the same time, Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) are the long-standing drama stars of East High. The entire student body seems to take sides, as the musical's lead roles are announced.
A variety of lively, radio-friendly musical numbers peppers the plot. With high-energy dance numbers and interspersed vignettes, each song is a ready-made music video. (Can anyone say, "Marketing?") The songs are catchy tunes with pop-friendly lyrics and simple choruses. Even the stodgiest grownups cannot help but sing along, and the most devoted couch potatoes sense the urge to get up and dance with the characters on the screen.
Basically, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is not a movie at all. It's more like karaoke on TV. Of course, the promotional wizards at Disney clearly planned for this response.
SING ALONG WITH THE SHOW
Karaoke-loving kids found their hearts' delight on Saturday, January 21, 2006, when The Disney Channel aired a special Sing-Along version of the movie. The lyrics for each song in the soundtrack appeared at the foot of each viewer's television screen.
Although
This was only the second night the movie aired, teenyboppers all over the world probably already knew most of the words to the songs. Neighborhoods fairly resounded with new favorites, such as "Bop to the Top," "Get'cha Head in the Game," "Start of Something New," "What I've Been Looking For," and "We're All in This Together."
GET UP AND DANCE
The Disney Channel knew immediately that they had a winner with HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Six weeks into it television run, they unrolled a Dance-Along version. Cast members demonstrated and taught actual dance moves for popular songs in the film. Family rooms everywhere began bouncing, as youngsters bopped along with the stars on the screen.
STARS ON TOUR
By November 2006, Disney sent its HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL stars on a concert tour throughout the US, Canada and even Latin America. Even without Zac Ephron (who was on-location filming HAIRSPRAY), the cast played to sold-out crowds in many cities. Of course, their young audiences sang along to every word!
NOW ON DVD
Currently, several DVD options of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL are available. These include the Sing-Along version, the Dance-Along version, a Pop-Up version and even a DVD game.
Capitalizing on the craze, Disney has already released a video game, book series, DVD game, juvenile apparel, and other licensed merchandise bearing the musical's name and stars' images.
A much-anticipated sequel, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, appeared in the summer of 2007. Guess what? By the time the end-credits rolled for the first time, nearly every preteen in America knew all the songs!
What are the secrets to karaoke? First, you have to know the words and the music to your favorite songs. Then you just have to let er rip with all you've got!
Check out any preteen gathering, and you will find them doing exactly that, to the tunes of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.
Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
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