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DETROIT – Casting has been announced for the Detroit premiere engagement of Disney's "High School Musical." Presented by Disney Theatrical Productions, "High School Musical" is based on the 2006 Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel Original Movie. The touring company, which is scheduled to travel to more than 60 cities across the United States and Canada, consists of 20 crew members, a live orchestra and a cast of 35 performers. The cast and creative team will rehearse in Pittsburgh and perform for three weeks as part of the Pittsburgh CLO's 2007 Summer Musical Season at the Benedum Center. The company will then travel to Detroit, rehearse with the touring set and debut the National Tour at the Fisher Theater.
The basketball team captain, Troy Bolton, will be played by John Jeffrey Martin, whose Broadway credits include "Rocky Horror Show," "Hairspray" and "Good Vibrations." He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theater.
Starring opposite Martin as the shy, academic student Gabriella Montez will be Arielle Jacobs. Jacobs' theater credits include "Crazy for You," "A Chorus Line" and "Cinderalla." Her film credits include "The Stepford Wives" and "Water Lilies."
Troy's best friend, Chad Danforth, will be played by Shakiem Evans, who most recently appeared as Eddie in Broadway's "Mamma Mia!" Evans off-Broadway credits include "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "Fame," and he is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Taylor McKessie, the leader of the "brainiacs" at East High School, will be played by Shaullanda LaCombe, who was seen as Shenzi in Disney's "The Lion King" and Charlane in "Ain't Misbehavin."
Bobby List will play Drama Club enthusiast and brother of Sharpay, Ryan Evans. List, a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, played opposite Debby Boone in "The Human Comedy" at Barrington Stage and in "The 60's Project" at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Young composer Kelsi Neilson will be portrayed by Olivia Oguma who has appeared on Broadway in "Mamma Mia!" and "Les Miserables," and off-Broadway in "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "The Scarlet Letter." Oguma's film credits include Hallmark Hall of Fame's "The Flamingo Rising" and "Strangers with Candy: the movie."
The scheming Drama Club president, Sharpay Evans, will be played by Chandra Lee Schwartz, who appeared in the Broadway productions of "Gypsy" and "Hairspray," as well a the first national tour of "Hairspray." Schwartz regional credits include productions at the New York Musical Theatre Festival and Gateway Playhouse.
Veteran actor Ron Bohmer will portray Troy's father and Wildcat's basketball coach, Coach Bolton. Bohmer is known for his Broadway and national tour credit, including "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Aspects of Love" and "Sunset Boulevard."
Ellen Harvey is drama teacher Ms. Darbus. Harvey's Broadway credits include "Thou Shalt Not" and "The Music Man," and her touring credits include "Mamma Mia!" and "Doctor Dolittle."
This new touring stage adaptation of Disney's "High School Musical" will be directed by Jeff Calhoun ("Big River"). "High School Musica." features a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini) and a score that includes all the songs from the original soundtrack plus two new songs.
Commenting on the casting of the National Tour, Thomas Schumacher,president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said, "Bringing these much celebrated characters to life for the audience is a great challenge, and we have just the right cast to do it. By working with the best actors Broadway has to offer, we've assembled a cast of fresh, fun and enormously talented performers who are able to make the story come to life at each performance. I couldn't be more excited about getting them all started."
Disney's "High School Musical" is a contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a secret passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High's rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the "jocks," the "brainiacs" and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage. By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, however, the couple inspires other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own.
"High School Musical" premiered on Disney Channel U.S. on Jan. 20, 2006 and posted the highest ratings for a Disney Channel Original Movie up until that time. It went on to become a smash hit internationally and, in 2006, aired on 26 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide, reaching over 100 million viewers in over 100 countries. It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store.
Adding to its success, it won two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director's Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination. Its soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category. Walt Disney Studios announced it will develop a feature film based on the movie for release in 2008.
In Detroit "High School Musical" will play June 26 through July 7 evenings at 7:30 p.m.; July 1 evening at 6:30 p.m.; matinees at 1 p.m. on July 1, 3, 5 and 8; and matinees at 2 p.m. on June 30 and July 7. There will not be a performance on July 4 in celebration of Independence Day.
Ticket prices range from $28 to $71. Tickets are available by visiting the Fisher Theatre box office, any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at http://BroadwayInDetroit.com.
For more information, call 313-872-1000.
