1st Night Photos: Dennis Goes Back to High School

In
the first stage sequel to the global phenomenon, school’s out
and the East High Wildcats need summer jobs! Troy, Gabriella, Taylor
and Chad all land work at an exclusive country club, but it’s
not going to be an easy ride as Ryan and Sharpay are vacationing there
too. The scheming siblings, whose family owns the club, make it their
mission to stir things up. The action builds to the club’s
all-important Midsummer Night’s Talent Show, but will the
Wildcats be ready in time?

Dennis, who plays teacher Mr Fulton, is best known from his TV credits, most notably as the host of Family Fortunes. His musical theatre credits include Me and My Girl, Chicago and, in the West End last year, Eurobeat. His autobiography, Must the Show Go On?, was published in 2008.

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF HIGH SCHOOL  MUSICAL 2‘s GALA PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE “NEXT >” LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

Liam Doyle was voted into the role of teen heartthrob Troy Bolton via a competition in May on morning chat show GMTV
(See News, 27 May 2009). The 18-year-old A-Level
student and part-time barman from Coventry had decided on a career in
performing arts following an injury which left him unable to carry on
with a promising future in soccer. Doyle’s fellow TV
finalists, Ian McIntosh and James Lacey, were also invited to join
the cast.

Other
principals include: Nikki Mae (as Gabriella Montez), Matt Kennedy
(Ryan Evans), Lauren Hall (Sharpay Evans), Carlton Connell (Chad
Danforth), Shakira Akabusi (Taylor McKessie), Dina Tree (Martha
Cox) and Emma Dukes (Kelsi Neilson).

As with the series’ original screen-to-stage crossover, High School Musical 2 Live on Stage!
has a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script
by Peter Barsocchini), and is directed by Jeff Calhoun, with scenic
design by Kenneth Foy and choreography by Lisa Stevens. The score
features all the songs from the film soundtrack, including
“What Time Is It?”, “You Are the Music in
Me” and “Fabulous”.

Following Wimbledon, where it runs until 5 September 2009, High School Musical 2 Live on Stage!
visits Plymouth, Sheffield, Oxford, Ipswich, Brighton, Wolverhampton,
Southampton, Leeds, Belfast, Manchester, Birmingham, Derry, Liverpool,
Bristol, Southend, Stoke-on-Trent, York and Cardiff, where the current
schedule concludes on 29 May 2010.