Introduction
If you haven’t watched “High School Musical” it is an enlightening movie about the struggles of controlling cliques in high school. It is a very well-known movie, directed by Kenny Ortega, a Sequoia alumni of 1968. Imagine an exaggerated depiction of a high school that happens to burst out into song whenever a teenager has emotions. The movie revolves around a singer and a jock and their struggles of being outside their clique circles.
Zac Efron Lip-Syncing
When people talk about “High School Musical” the topic often floats back to the fact that Zac Efron couldn’t sing. Zac Efron obviously sang in later productions but in “High School Musical” he lip-synced through all the basketball games. An interview with freshman Meena Stanger, who has been in many musicals, gave further detail about this unfortunate fact.
“It’s stressful to me because Zac Efron should be amazing, and be able to do that. Although Zac Efron having to lip sync makes sense, especially tying back to playing basketball at the same time as they’re singing their song, it’s just not something that’s really possible because in basketball you would have to jump and that messes with your lungs and your diaphragm. The fact that Zac Efron didn’t sing his own songs makes me really sad because Zac Efron is a beautiful soul and should be able to sing. And he’s a beautiful man,” Stanger said.
Realism of the Theatre
To be honest, “High School Musical” isn’t realistic. At all. That’s what makes it such a great movie.
“I’m not a theater kid, I’m a kid in theater.” Apparently, there is a huge difference, as people in High School such as Sharpey Evans could be counted as a theater kid.
“Oh, how quickly they can do costume changes. It’s unheard of, it’s just, oh God, it stresses me out to think about it,” Stanger said. “Obviously, this is about the first movie but in the third where they graduate high school it’s shown they can do a musical at the same time as they’re doing college applications and play a sport and do all these things. I mean obviously, you can do a musical and apply to colleges because so many seniors are doing that right now, but it’s the most inaccurate portrayal about the time and like mental capacity that it takes to do so many different things at once and the musical which is a lot of work.”
Troy Bolton’s Basketball Skills
Troy Bolton is widely known for his basketball skills. But are his basketball moves really all that impressive? An interview with senior basketball player Jake Jones answers this urgent question.
“The behind-the-back pass. That’s kind of flashy. I guess it is impressive, but it’s a risky play. It could work but it might not work. I mean it shows that he might have some skill, but it might just be him showing off,” Jones said.
When watching “High School Musical” you would likely remember Troy Bolton’s father, a prodigy of basketball who coaches their high school basketball team. The amount of pressure and stress he put on his son to focus on basketball and basketball alone may be one of the most unrealistic things about parents of student-athletes.
“Some parents are definitely keying in on making sure their kid is a good student before athletes,” Jones said.
Chad has a Basketball in his hand all the time
One of the small details you can find in “High School Musical” is that one of the jocks, Chad Danforth, is always carrying a basketball. In almost every scene. It’s a comical detail that isn’t the most realistic thing in the world.
“It’s not realistic at all. Occasionally I see someone with a soccer ball, like in the halls, but I’ve never seen someone’s basketball in the halls. You’re not supposed to be dribbling. It’s just respectful to not have a basketball in the classroom. It’s disrespectful and no one really does that in real life. Maybe they have their basketball bags,” Jones said.
The Drama Teacher is Dramatically Exaggerated
Teachers in the movie are very exaggerated. The spat between the basketball coach and the drama teacher is laughable in the movie but at an actual high school, teachers wouldn’t spend their time fighting with other teachers. There are things to be done. An interview with freshman English Teacher Hannah Lee who is also a senior teacher in the Digital Arts Academy brings the unrealism of the school’s drama teacher into detail.
“She had a mini stage in her classroom and then all of the kids were like, still in seats. But then she had like a throne on the stage and she would just sit on the throne. No teacher I know would do that,” Lee said.
In the same interview with Lee, the conversation drifted to the school they go to and the difference between our high school.
“They had a very strong sense of unity as the wildcats. I think there is some of that at Sequoia but I don’t think it’s like encompassing the entire school,” Lee said.
Conclusion
If you’ve watched or even heard of this movie you probably understand that it is the furthest thing from a realistic high school, but that’s what makes the movie so enjoyable. It’s a fun watch and the small details you see are exciting and fun. Overall High School Musical is the perfect mix of entertaining and funny, with director Ortega doing a wonderful job. I would absolutely recommend the movie to anyone who has not watched it.