HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL TV SERIES is finally over. Half of the ensemble had reached their senior year, so logically, it was time to say so long…have a nice life. Yay!
This season had a bumpy ride emotionally for every member of the ensemble. I was a high school theatre teacher. I used to direct the musicals every year for over thirty years. I could relate to tons of stuff the writers kept throwing at their audience. Angst, drama-trauma, tears, fears, silliness, laughter, and even a buttload more of teenage angst were what I dealt with every single day.
This show…this season triggered my memory boxes to open. The question was it realistic and true to typical drama teachers’ experiences? Hell no. How could it be when the actors are portraying kids much younger than their actual ages? Was every moment a break-out in song and dance numbers with over-the-top phenomenal voices featuring lyrics written and learned on the spot? 😂😂😂 Puleeze! But that is not what HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is all about.
HSM simply wants to “celebrate where you come from.” It’s about those lifelong friendships etched in theatre kids’ hearts forever. Traditions mean something, and passing the baton to the next generation is what “life” is all about. This was accomplished tenfold in the fourth and final season. East High will go on and live forever.
The production numbers were fun, gag-worthy, memorable, and forgettable all at the same time. It showcased the deep, intimate entanglements high schoolers are capable of having. Never underestimate them. My favorite scene was the end, after Denny’s, and the credits were rolling. Stick around for something heartfelt and “CHANGED FOR GOOD.”
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL TV SERIES has taken its final curtain call. I stand with Miss Jen in my mind, leaving one lamp on and shutting the stage door behind me.
It is available to stream on DISNEY+.
