High School Musical to Tour 60 Cities in U.S. and Canada
By Zachary Pincus-Roth
23 Mar 2007
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John Jeffrey Martin in the Atlanta production of High School Musical.
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| photo by Joan Marcus | The stage version of the smash Disney Channel movie "High School Musical" will tour over 60 cities across the United States and Canada.
The tour will begin at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit (June 26-July 8), followed by the Academy of Music at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia (July 11-22) and the LaSalle Bank Theatre in Chicago (July 25-Sept. 2). The tour's official opening will be Aug. 1 in Chicago.
Jeff Calhoun (Broadway's Big River) directs the production, which was originally presented earlier this year at Theatre of the Stars in Atlanta.
The production features a book by David Simpatico, adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini. The score includes all the songs from the original soundtrack (written by numerous songwriters) plus two new ones. The cast of 35 actors has yet to be announced.
The creative team for High School Musical also includes choreographer Lisa Stevens, scenic designer Kenneth Foy, costume designer Wade Laboissonniere, lighting designer Kenneth Billington, sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards and music supervisor Bryan Louiselle.
Ticket on-sale dates for the three announced cities will be announced locally in each market. Future dates for the tour will be announced later this spring.
The film has also been adapted into "Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour," which begins Sept. 29 at Madison Square Garden. The show will include music from the original "High School Musical," and from "High School Musical 2," which is scheduled to premiere on Disney Channel in August. The ice tour is produced by Kenneth Feld, his daughter Nicole Feld and Kenny Ortega, the director of the two Disney Channel movies.
These tours are distinct from the "High School Musical" concert tour starring the film's original cast, which played 40 dates this past fall and winter. In addition, several regional theatres are presenting their own stage versions.
"High School Musical" premiered on Disney Channel on January 20, 2006, and spawned a nationwide phenomenon, marked by two Emmy Awards (among other honors), a No. 1 soundtrack and multiple DVDs and other tie-ins.
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Patti Murin and Bobby List in the Atlanta production of High School Musical.
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| photo by Joan Marcus |
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