There is no sweeter relief for a critic than to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of a show that one attends expecting the worst. Not that I doubted Workshop Theatre’s ability to successfully stage Disney’s High School Musical 2; I simply did not think that it would be my cup of tea, and I suspected I would have to search the production high and low to find some aspect that would entertain me while I stoically survived the central action and story.

Well, I was wrong.

Director Walter Graham’s cast brings a palpable energy to a stage that is well supported technically by his crew, resulting in a fully enjoyable night at the theatre.

 

The show is a direct sequel to High School Musical, though you really do not need to have seen the first installment to grasp the second. Set in the summer, the story follows young sweethearts Troy and Gabriella (and many of their classmates) to their summer jobs at Lava Springs, a country club owned by the father of Gabriella’s rival, Sharpay. Intent on stealing Troy’s affection, the maniacally spoiled Sharpay uses her influence at the club to create a rift between the lovers, not because she necessarily likes Troy all that much, but simply because she can. Troy is forced to choose between fulfilling promises he made to Gabriella and the tangible reward of a potential college scholarship arranged by Sharpay.

His struggle with this choice is the central action, though Sharpay also experiences some revelations of her own under the pressure of her falling popularity. In both cases, we ultimately learn that “if you act like someone you’re not, that’s who you become.”
OK, so if you’re over 30 the story is a bit fluffy, but at that point it also takes on a certain “adorable” aspect as you watch these kids being introduced to the basic tenets of Life 101.

Indeed, the strength of the show is its youthful energy level, which keeps your foot tapping along and your eyes constantly engaged. Much of this visual engagement is the product of McCree O’Kelley’s exceptional group choreography, which is full of creative lifting and carrying, and also Liz Ross’ spot-on costuming.

The show is generally well cast, and though its highlight moments mostly involve the entire ensemble, there are some notable individual performances. Musically, Ginny Sims as Gabriella has no rival (like, so sorry Sharpay! I know, right?). Her voice is clear, strong and beautiful. Bart Mathers as Ryan [online copy corrected], Sharpay's more reasonable and sensitive brother, physicalizes his character well, from his posture down to his gait, and also stands out appropriately as the school’s finest dancer.

Sharpay herself is perhaps a bit overplayed by Raime Padgett, appearing a bit cartoonish in comparison to others, though she actually does this very well. This makes her appropriately less sympathetic, yet also somewhat unreal, turning her serious sociopathy into comic relief at many points. As for actual comic relief, not enough can be said about Corey Law as Jack, the class clown. His energy speaks for itself. Finally, Jake Etheridge looks the part of Troy, though his faint voice serves as a fine example of the lost art of projection in live theatre.

Enunciation and projection are issues at many points of the show, with a couple of songs successfully transmitting only about 50 percent of the lyrics. This is disappointing because the majority of the songs are well constructed both musically and lyrically, so you’re left wondering if you missed something clever or humorous.

On the whole, the music is upbeat, the pace of the action is fast, the visuals entertaining, and the story, well, a bit formulaic, but it’s a high school musical after all! The show certainly exceeded this critic’s expectations, and judging by the number of sugary “aaaawwws” that emanated from the audience, it seemed to engage the other viewers as well. 

For information or reservations, call the Workshop Theatre box office at 799-6551.