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Special Section: High School MusicalWhat’s NextIsBy Geri JeterIt is clear that High School Musical has become a gateway tostudent interest in other shows. How do you capitalize onthis? How does your school pick the next show? Do you gofor the tried-and-true classics, or do you look for somethingfresh and new?Before making a selection, it is worth investigating whatmakes High School Musical resonate with your audiences andperformers. Is it the conflict among the cheerleaders, the jocks,the brainiacs and the drama kids? The overall zeitgeist of thefantasy high school experience, the repetitive choreography orthe oh-so-Disney songs? All of the above?Can’t-Go-Wrong ClassicsTwo obvious choices, Grease and Bye Bye Birdie, include alot of these elements, but have some concerns, not the leastof which is that they have been done to death. Although cuteand campy, Grease depends heavily on a degree of sexualinnuendo that may exceed the comfort zone of some schoolboards. Bye Bye Birdie, while not camp, has a book that isso dated it would be difficult to work around. (Throughoutthe play, Rosie encourages her boyfriend to leave his amazinglylucrative job as manager for a rock ‘n’ roll star so he canbecome an English teacher. Try and get that one to fly withtoday’s youth.)For some schools, sports are the big draw. If the cast memberslove to “think about the game,” Damn Yankees couldwork. The group dances here are mostly based on baseballmoves, so a clever choreographer could work with studentathletes on this one. A few bats and gloves and everyonegoes up and down at the same time — no problem.On the surface, Once Upon a Mattress seems to have nothingin common with High School Musical. On the other hand,it’s also a fantasy centered on a new kid in town who is tryingto fit in. The show’s approach to love and romance is also very“teenage.” Winifred’s boyfriend even sings a cheer-centeredlove song, complete with the refrain, “With an F and an R andan E and a D — F • R • E • D — Fred.” Medieval cheerleadersneed love, too. And the play is perfect for a smaller school; itcan be done with as few as 12–14 people.there life afterHigh School Musical?Shake It UpThe classic shows are an easy pick. They come with a guaranteedrecognition factor and make it easy to promote to thestudents and the audience. However, it is worth exploring somerecent off-Broadway and other original productions, which nowprovide schools with an opportunity to tackle less-performed,but accessible material. We spoke with some folks over atTheatrical Rights Worldwide, a licensing agency with a cataloguethat’s heavy on newer musicals, and they suggested a fewtitles that might fit nicely in your next schedule.All Shook Up, one of the current crop of “jukebox musicals,”is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and frames itsaction with Elvis Presley songs. The show covers importanttopics like race and class distinctions, has the requisite romanticand follow-your-dream components, can accommodate alarge cast and is school board friendly. Keeping with the fantasyelement, the time period is the 1950s, which to the currentcrop of teenagers might as well be medieval fairytale times.And Elvis’ music is so much a part of the American culture thatactors and audiences find it easy to connect with the play.Another retro musical, Go-Go Beach is a nostalgic lookback at the California surf culture of the 1960s and has anoriginal score inspired by the surf sound, girl groups andgo-go music of the period. A throwback to the Beach movies,the plot centers on a group of kids who compete in danceand surfing contests for coveted spots in the latest pop star’snew movie. Featured in the 2006 New York Musical TheatreFestival Next Link Project, the play deals with issues of fidelityand the meaning of true love. (Well, a surfer dude gets intotrouble with his girlfriend when he falls for a runaway teenpop star, and a flower child helps him sort it all out.) Peace,love and the dawning of the Age of Aquarius all around.For a modern take on a classic fairytale, the modern (2005)musical Cinderella (Patton/Kisor) has a bookish Cinderella anda Ph.D. prince who definitely “don’t fit in.” Although the basicCinderella plot elements are in place, this is not a saccharine kiddieversion of the tale, but one where the lovers find each otherby learning that appearances aren’t important and it’s better totrust your heart. And Cinderella has a red sneaker instead of aBen Britten SmithMichael Buchanan, Erin Leigh Peck andTimothy Smith in Go-Go Beach at the New YorkMusical Theatre Festival 2006All Shook Up, Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, R.I.www.stage-directions.com • December 2007 37