The document provides a summary of the musical "High School Musical". It takes place at East High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico and follows Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez as they meet at a ski lodge over winter break and later discover they now attend the same high school. They bond over their secret talents for singing and audition for the school musical, facing opposition from drama club president Sharpay Evans. The summary outlines the plot which sees Troy and Gabriella navigate their new relationship and roles in the musical through the support of friends and challenges from Sharpay.
2. TITLE, PLAYWRIGHT AND PREMIER
DATE
• High School Musical: The Concert
• Peter Barsocchini (Playwright)
• November 30th 2006
3. HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND
SOCIAL CONTEXT
• The musical is set in present day and we know this by the type of setting the musical is in
and also what the characters wear and the way they speak (dialect).
• It is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the fictional “East High School”.
• The social context of the musical differs between characters as some characters would be
classed as working class and some middle class.
4. DETAILED SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY
On new year’s eve, juniors Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez meet at a party while both teens are at a ski lodge during winter
break. At the party, the two are called upon to sing karaoke together ("Start of Something New"). They seem to be attracted to
each other, and exchange numbers before going their separate ways.
After Christmas break, Troy sees Gabriella in his homeroom, and she explains that she just moved to Albuquerque, New
Mexico and transferred to East High School over break. Troy shows Gabriella around the school, and they pause in front of the
sign-up sheet for the winter musical auditions. This alarms Drama Club president Sharpay Evans, who assumes that Gabriella is
interested in auditioning. Wanting to eliminate competition, Sharpay investigates the new girl and has the scholastic decathlon
captain, Taylor McKessie, find out about Gabriella's past academic achievements.
During basketball practice, Troy has trouble focusing because his thoughts are on Gabriella and the idea that he might enjoy
singing more ("Get'cha Head In the Game"). Gabriella and Troy both go to the musical auditions where Sharpay and her twin
brother Ryan perform ("What I've Been Looking For") but both are too shy to audition. When Gabriella finally gains the confidence
to step forward, Troy offers to sing with her, but Ms. Darbus tells them that they are too late. After Ms. Darbus attempts to leave,
Kelsi Nielson, the musical's composer, trips and drops her things. Troy and Gabriella rush to help her, and they sing together as
Kelsi plays piano ("What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)"). Ms. Darbus overhears them and gives them a callback audition.
When the callback list is posted, Sharpay discovers that she has competition for the lead in the musical, and the rest of the
Wildcats are shocked that Troy and Gabriella have auditioned for a musical. Other students confess their own secret passions and
talents ("Stick To The Status Quo"), alarming both Taylor and Troy's friend Chad Danforth. Since Gabriella has agreed to join the
scholastic decathlon team, both Taylor and Chad want their teammates to focus on their upcoming competitions rather than the
musical. Troy is tricked into saying that Gabriella is not important while she watches through a Wi-Fi link that the scholastic
decathlon team has set up. Gabriella goes into depression ("When There Was Me And You") and decides not to audition for the
musical. Realizing their mistake, Chad, Taylor and the basketball team tell Troy what happened and offer to support him in
callbacks. Troy goes to Gabriella's house and they reconcile.
After overhearing Gabriella and Troy practicing, Sharpay has Ms. Darbus change the callback time to coincide with both the
basketball championship and the scholastic decathlon to interfere with Gabriella and Troy's participation. Kelsi overhears the
conversation and the basketball team and the decathlon team work together to come up with a plan. On the day of the
competitions, Taylor and Gabriella use the school's computers to delay the championship and the decathlon. Troy and Gabriella
rush to the auditorium, and Sharpay and Ryan finish performing their song ("Bop To The Top"), confident that their plan worked.
After Gabriella and Troy audition ("Breaking Free"), Ms. Darbus gives the two the lead roles, making Sharpay and
Ryan understudies. Troy and Gabriella both win their respective competitions, and the entire school gathers in the gym to celebrate
("We're All In This Together").
5. MAIN CHARACTER ANALYSIS
• Troy Bolton is the main protagonist of High School Musical and the boyfriend
to Gabriella Montez. He meets Gabriella Montez at a lodge while on vacation, and
the two sing together. The two later find themselves attending the same school as
Gabriella moved to Albuquerque. Through a series of events, they fall in love. He is
best friends with Chad Danforth. He's also friends with Ryan Evans, which is quite
the opposite for Gabriella and Sharpay Evans' situation.
• Gabriella Montez is one of the students on the scholastic decathlon team. She
develops a love for Troy through a series of events throughout the musical.
6. INITIAL CREATIVE IDEAS
• Sharpay’s “Bop to the Top” costume
• School posters
• Back drop of basketball court/school.
• Soundscape, talking, school bell, lockers etc.
• Onstage constant balcony complete with tables, chairs posters etc, adding extra
dimension to stage.
• Wildcats/East high school projections
• Long banners for the side of the stage (constant set)
