Hollywood Musical resounds in Pakuranga

Viraf Todywalla

Students of Pakuranga College in East Auckland created waves among teachers, parents and others in the Auckland region with their stupendous performance of ‘High School Musical,’ with three consecutive days of showcase of talent at the School auditorium last weekend.

Their final performance in a three-day series, held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 was a sell-out.

I had the good fortune of witnessing ‘High School Musical.’

What a show it was!

Energetic and Talented

The performers- all budding singers, actors and stage artistes– exuded energy and brought out their best, earning thundering applause from an appreciative audience.

There was a volley of emotions, including love and laughter.

It was a great night-out with the family.

Jehann, the Star

Jehann Daruwalla, who plays Troy, had never sung in front of even his family, leave alone facing a capacity-packed School Hall.

None of us had any idea the innate talent that this young man possesses. It was as if Troy had come down from the pages of Greek History. As the lead male singer, he carried the show on his capable shoulders, ably supported by the entire crew.

Behzad Karkaria, the drummer was also at his best.

The list of participants is too long to mention in this report but suffice to say that the students of Pakuranga College have excelled themselves with this show, giving their best performance ever. Each of them had a role to play- as producers, directors, singers, actors, musicians, instrumentalists, backstage support – every role in fact that made ‘High School Musical’ an event to remember.

The Plot

With a plot described by the author (David Simpatico) and numerous critics as a modern adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, ‘High School Musical’ is a story about two high school juniors from rival cliques – Troy Bolton, Captain of the Basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, a shy transfer student who excels in Mathematics and Science.

Together, they try out for the lead parts in their High School Musical, and this causes division among all the school’s students. Despite other students’ attempts to thwart their dreams, Troy and Gabriella resist peer pressure and rivalry, inspiring others along the way not to “stick to the status quo.” High School diva Sharpay Evans and her twin brother Ryan will do anything not only to sabotage the friendship and romance between Troy and Gabriella, but also to get the leads in the school musical.

About High School Musical

High School Musical is a 2006 American musical television film and the first instalment in the High School Musical trilogy directed by Kenny Ortega.

It was filmed in 2005 in Salt Lake City. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) ever produced, with a television sequel, ‘High School Musical 2,’ released in 2007 and the feature film, ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year,’ released theatrically in October 2008.

It is the first and only DCOM to have a theatrical sequel.

The film’s soundtrack was the best-selling album in the United States, reaching Number 1 on the American Charts for 2006.

Most-Watched film

‘High School Musical’ was Disney Channel’s most watched film that year with 7.7 million viewers in its Premiere broadcast in the US, until the advent of ‘The Cheetah Girls 2,’ which achieved 8.1 million viewers.

In the United Kingdom, it received 789,000 viewers for its Premiere (and 1.2 million viewers overall during the first week), making it the second most-watched programme for the Disney Channel (UK) of 2006. On December 29, 2006, it became the first DCOM to be broadcast on the BBC. Globally, High School Musical has been seen by over 225 million viewers.

The Credits

Original songs for ‘High School Musical’ were written by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil; Ray Cham, Greg Cham and Andrew Seeley, Randy Peterson and Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louisellie, David N Lawrence, and Faye Greenberg and Jamie Houston.

The original musical score was composed, arranged and produced by Bryan Louisellie.

Many enthusiasts would have missed the show but I am sure that Pakuranga College Management would be happy to restage their ‘High School Musical’ if there is appropriate parental and student support.

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