Spring Break
Dancer reminisces HSM
Callie McGlone
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
After three years and three different movies, it's time we shed a tear and say goodbye to our favorite guilty pleasure, "High School Musical." From its 2006 Disney Channel debut, "High School Musical" has been everywhere, from TV, to the big screen, on the radio, and in stores around the world. We have all been surrounded by the scenes, songs, and endless merchandise of "High School Musical."
With the success of the original movie setting - Disney recorded 7.7 million viewers - "High School Musical 2," emerged, in which the audience watches the cast on their summer vacation. The sequel took cable by storm breaking records left and right. The movie became not only the most watched telecast for kids aged six to 14 and the most watched cable movie, but also "High School Musical 2" conquered cable as the highest rated, most watched cable broadcast ever, with a total of 17.2 million viewers. With two made for TV movies, a concert tour, Disney on Ice tour, two number one soundtracks, and a theater show, Disney took their cable phenomenon to Hollywood.
With a $30 million dollar budget, the original having $4.5 million and $7 million for the sequel, Disney released the third and final installment in theaters October 2008.
Chucky Klapow, choreographer of the three films, spoke to The Triangle about the differences in developing the scenes in the third film.
"We approached the movie totally different because it is a bigger and wider screen. We needed to fill up the empty space on the left and the right. It gave us the chance to use 18 principal dancers instead of the usual 12 that we had for the first two movies. Since the budget was bigger, we were able to use that money to do numbers like the junkyard sequence, 'The Boys are Back.' We got to have our art department go out and build a set for us. It gave us so much more possibilities. We weren't limited to a set or the school," Klapow explained.
The final movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" follows the characters through the prom, their final school play and of course, graduation. To the cast and crew, much of the final movie felt much like real life.
"That [High School Musical] was such a big part of our lives. The graduation sequence in the third movie was a highlight like none other. At the end of that, we were just in tears, we were so emotional. There's the symbolism of graduating, but it was also us knowing it was the last time we were ever going to be dancing together, ever. It was magical. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget," Klapow said.
When asked of the impact the movie had on his life and career, Klapow told a story of the final day of shooting on the original film.
"When we filmed, 'We're All In This Together,' Kenny Ortega, the director, said to all of us on the set 'This movie is going to change all of your lives. You don't know it now, but you'll know it sooner or later, this is going to change all of your lives.' He knew how special the project was way before."
Grab your popcorn! "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is now out on DVD.
With the success of the original movie setting - Disney recorded 7.7 million viewers - "High School Musical 2," emerged, in which the audience watches the cast on their summer vacation. The sequel took cable by storm breaking records left and right. The movie became not only the most watched telecast for kids aged six to 14 and the most watched cable movie, but also "High School Musical 2" conquered cable as the highest rated, most watched cable broadcast ever, with a total of 17.2 million viewers. With two made for TV movies, a concert tour, Disney on Ice tour, two number one soundtracks, and a theater show, Disney took their cable phenomenon to Hollywood.
With a $30 million dollar budget, the original having $4.5 million and $7 million for the sequel, Disney released the third and final installment in theaters October 2008.
Chucky Klapow, choreographer of the three films, spoke to The Triangle about the differences in developing the scenes in the third film.
"We approached the movie totally different because it is a bigger and wider screen. We needed to fill up the empty space on the left and the right. It gave us the chance to use 18 principal dancers instead of the usual 12 that we had for the first two movies. Since the budget was bigger, we were able to use that money to do numbers like the junkyard sequence, 'The Boys are Back.' We got to have our art department go out and build a set for us. It gave us so much more possibilities. We weren't limited to a set or the school," Klapow explained.
The final movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" follows the characters through the prom, their final school play and of course, graduation. To the cast and crew, much of the final movie felt much like real life.
"That [High School Musical] was such a big part of our lives. The graduation sequence in the third movie was a highlight like none other. At the end of that, we were just in tears, we were so emotional. There's the symbolism of graduating, but it was also us knowing it was the last time we were ever going to be dancing together, ever. It was magical. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget," Klapow said.
When asked of the impact the movie had on his life and career, Klapow told a story of the final day of shooting on the original film.
"When we filmed, 'We're All In This Together,' Kenny Ortega, the director, said to all of us on the set 'This movie is going to change all of your lives. You don't know it now, but you'll know it sooner or later, this is going to change all of your lives.' He knew how special the project was way before."
Grab your popcorn! "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is now out on DVD.
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