Published: July 05, 2009 02:51 am      

THEATRE REVIEW: Derby’s take on 'High School Musical'

Not surprisingly, Derby Dinner Playhouse was jam-packed with enthusiastic youngsters for Thursday night’s press opening of that Disney phenomenon known as “High School Musical.”

They came with parents who seemed equally excited by the flashy, propulsive teenage love story played out among school cliques labeled jocks and brainiacs.

It’s a simple tale that began life as a wildly popular Disney Channel original movie, whose soundtrack became a chart buster and gave rise to this stage version and various TV and film sequels.

Derby Dinner’s smartly effective version, produced by Bekki Jo Schneider and directed by Lee Buckholz — who also designed the spiffy high school gymnasium set with its “East High” and “Wildcats” banners — boasts lots of new young faces and a superabundance of talent.

Basketball star Troy Bolton (Justin Bowen), the school’s top jock, and new student Gabriella Montez (Annabel Franklin), a math and science whiz, upset the status quo when their mutual attraction is solidified by their love of singing.

When they try out for “Juliet and Romeo,” the feminist musical penned by classmate Kelsi Neilson (outstanding Megan Muller, who also created the show’s dynamic choreography), they draw the enmity of drama queen Sharpay Evans (Lexie Dorsett, delightfully vicious with an Eve Arden hauteur) and her sidekick brother Ryan Evans (rubber-legged dancer Matthew Brennan).

Adding to the tension is a long-standing territorial clash between old-fashioned drama teacher Ms. Darbus (Derby veteran Rita Thomas at the top of her hilarious form), and Coach Bolton (Brent Gettelfinger), Troy’s father.

Bowen and Franklin are an enormously appealing young couple whose “What I’ve Been Looking For,” “When There Was You and Me” and “Start of Something New” are soulfully sung.

The peppy ensemble of jocks — terrific in a basketball-passing song-and-dance called “Get’cha Head in the Game” — and brainiacs — with captivating Charnette Batey as top girl Taylor McKissie — also spotlights irrepressible Tony Smith as Zeke Baylor, a jock who secretly likes to bake and has a yen for overbearing Sharpay.

Then there’s Zachary Boone as a jock named James who does a lengthy and amazingly funny bit enacting an inchworm in a dramatic exercise invented by Ms. Darbus.

Thirteen writers provided original songs for David Simpatico’s book based on the film written by Peter Barsocchini. And while it’s no “Bye Bye Birdie” or “West Side Story,” it works fine for what it is.



Charles Whaley is a longtime theater reviewer in the Louisville metro area. He has reviewed stage productions for The Courier-Journal, totaltheater.com, CurtainUp.com, San Francisco Bay Times and The Sondheim Review.