The hottest dance moves and the biggest hit songs from one of the Disney Channel’s most popular entertainment phenomenons come to life in “High School Musical On Tour,” a new high-energy show for the whole family at Walt Disney Studios Park this year.

A multi-talented team of entertainers brings the students of East High to France for a show-stopping vacation, re-creating the world of High School Musical, where best friends break into elaborate live musical numbers and basketball shoot-outs like magic. Park guests may even find themselves shooting basketball or joining in as the whole street turns into a party twice over and great songs fill the air.

This a showcase of sing-a-long fun invites all ages to be part of a new kind of live show inspired by the highest-rated TV movie in Disney history.

The Show

The unstoppable beat begins between the industrial soundstages of Backlot, as High School Musical On Tour rolls into the courtyard from Tour de Force Records. On "vacation" from East High are a lively team of cheerleaders, basketball players and students, ready to spread their frenetic High School rhythm and American traditions...

Bop to the Top

"Wildcats, let's go! Wildcats, everybody!"

Rolling into view, the "On Tour" production bops right into its first high-energy musical number, the two lead vocalists a male sports player and a female student. They're joined by a quirky female and her science student friend, plus a fifth star as a lead dancer. Together, they're hosting the tour through Walt Disney Studios.

The stars might be different, but the cast of this High School Musical have the same characters and the same ambitions. "Bop, bop bop... Bop to the Top!" is a song about just that - forgetting any worries and giving it your all. The cheerleaders jump in the air, the basketball players hop from side to side with their basketballs in perfect sync and the main characters say "Hello Paris!" to introduce their vacation tour.

Get'cha Head in the Game

Blocks from the 'On Tour' float form the words "W-I-L-D C-A-T-S" across the performance area and a real Hip Hop rhythm comes to play. The Wild Cats team take centrestage with a non-stop basketball routine of side-to-side hops, impressive catches and shooting hoops from all angles of the playing field. And then, it's over to you - get your head in the game and start shooting hoops! The team jump around the audience handing out basketballs and holding their hoops high, low and upside down for all ages to try their best skills.

What I've Been Looking For

Sports wrapped up for the season, it's on with the musical. Our lead star thought his only dream was to become the best at the game, but what does his heart truly desire? In a romantic love song between an unlikely couple, we're about to find out...

The players prepare the scene with a tall red stage ladder, their quirky friends gasp in excitement and the couple climb the steps either side to meet in the middle. Singing their hearts to each other, their friends take hold of the ladder and swing it around in circles, swirling the lovestruck pair into a real romance.

Stick to the Status Quo

Inspired by the couple joining from opposite ends of the romantic spectrum, the entire production jumps up into a lively penultimate number to shout "stick to what you know", forget what others want you to be, "stick to the status quo".  Our sports star isn't sure of where to go - for the sports or for the girl. His female friend carries the worries of the earth, the science student just want to be a top chef. "Stick to the status quo!" the team shouts, as the aspiring chef is invited for a meal in Paris!

We're All in this Together

The grand finale continues the biggest success of the film, "We're All in this Together". After another dance performance and musical spectacle, audience members of all ages are invited to step into the High School Musical and join the memorable routines, led by the Wild Cats team themselves.

Has the "On Tour" showcase taught you the rhythm of High School Musical? It's all down to you now...

Music

The soundtrack of High School Musical On Tour is identical to that of the 'High School Musical Pep Rally' at Disneyland Resort in California (see 'History' below), mixing together the biggest hits from the film in an energetic, non-stop show. Since the show is presented twice in one performance at two different locations, the moving sections are accompanied by the music of "Bop to the Top", with energetic cries from the performers following their float.

From the catchy beat of "Bop to the Top" to the romantic medlies of "What I've Been Looking For" and the hip-hop bounce of "Get-cha Head in the Game", you'll find it almost impossible not to tap your feet during the show, High School Musical fan or not. The energy and rhythm of this performance truly surpasses anything that has come before.

History

High School Musical On Tour is a new, international version of the 'High School Musical Pep Rally' shows originally presented at both Disney's California Adventure park and Disney-MGM Studios Florida. The concept of using a rolling trailer as the stage, however, could originate directly from Paris, and the Walt Disney Studios Park show replaced by this production: Starring Cruella De Vil.

High School Musical Pep Rally began 6th October 2006 at Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and at the same time near Hollywood Pictures Backlot in Disney's California Adventure park.The Walt Disney World version originally comprised of a small show featuring only five performers on a static stage. Eventually, the rolling stage idea was brought in when the show moved to Disney-MGM Studios for 23rd January 2007 and became the far stronger spectacle fans had appreciated in California.

The Walt Disney Studios Park show was first confirmed on 26th January 2007 and officially announced in a press release for the new additions of the 15th Anniversary on 1st April 2007. A preview of the show, featuring performers from the Californian version, was presented at the important 15th Anniversary press conference on the same day. Show director for the project was Katy Harris. Fresh from her resounding success with the directorial and creative duties on Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade which had premiered just a day earlier, the British Disneyland Resort Paris entertainment star was already at work preparing the resort's adaptation of High School Musical Pep Rally. For the project, the Paris resort joined forces with Disneyland Resort in California, and the team were provided with all the scripts and soundtracks of the Disney's California Adventure show.

The next step for Katy was to translate those scripts into a mixture of French and English, using the new background story of East High students being on vacation in France. The songs, as with the French version of the film itself, remain entirely in English. Katy travelled to Disneyland Resort in Southern California with her choreographer to research the original version of the show and learn its complex choreography. Based strictly on that of the film in many scenes, the choreography of the Californian show was directed by Kenny Ortega, the Emmy Award-winning director and choreographer of the original film itself, and would need to be transferred to Paris with the same rhythm and energy for the show to have its full effect.  As an extra European touch, Katy and her team added an additional rhythm of "Hip Hop" throughout the Parisian show, a style particularly popular with the young French audience.

Close to 300 dancers were auditioned for the show's intensive basketball and cheerleader roles, requiring both dance skills and a sporting ability, not to mention enough energy for a non-stop 22-minute performance! The workshops eventually lead to just 7 males and 7 females being cast for the season. The two key vocal performers also brought a hefty set of requirements - the ability to sing in English, speak the lines in perfect French and English and join with the dance team for several scenes. One of the male vocalists at the show's launch was a performer from popular French television talent show 'Star Academy', whilst two were actually brought directly from the California show, adding considerably to the energy of the production and more authentic performances throughout.

The 'High School Musical On Tour' float was built especially for the show at Disneyland Resort Paris using the same plans as the Californian version, complete with basketball hoop and additional ladder. It can hold the key performers and all of the show's props as it moves between performances, with two large speakers of its won connected to those of the park's main parade route soundsystem, which join the soundtrack depending on the float's location.

All the costumes were modified with their recreation for the Paris show, with particular changes to the five key students in regular clothing, who here appear younger and certainly more European. The 'Wild Cats' basketball kits were produced especially for the show by Reebok (shown with a small "Rbk" stamp) in the colours and style of the team, right down to the customised footwear.