The show which proved wildly successful for the company on the Billboard charts, rebroadcasts now debuts on DVD May 23 featuring two versions and extra features.
"Newsies" director-choreographer Kenny Ortega headed up "High School Musical" which premiered on Disney Channel Jan. 20 at 8 PM (ET). A sequel is already in the works and a stage version will be made available for licensing via Music Theatre International (MTI).
Walt Disney Home Entertainment puts forth the DVD release which will include two versions of the approximately 98-minute film — the original telecast version and a sing-along version, displaying lyrics on screen during musical numbers.
The release will also contain the following bonus features: a "Learn the Dance Moves" feature led by director-choreographer Kenny Ortega, an unseen music video for "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," the music video of "We're All In This Together" and a Behind-The-Scenes feature about the making of the movie.
For more information, visit www.disney.go.com/disneychannel. *
The show's debut rated No. 1 in cable TV programs for the week of Jan. 16-22, pulling in 7,732,000 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, a record high for the network. Subsequent airings also charted well for the company: Jan. 21 at No. 2 for the week with 6,120,000 viewers and Jan. 22 at No. 7 with 4,856,000.
The soundtrack from Walt Disney Records has been platinum-certified. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and held steady at No. 1 on iTunes' "Today's Top Albums" for three weeks.
First Street Films in association with Disney Channel present the work penned by Peter Barsocchini ("Shadow-Ops") and featuring a score by David Lawrence and songs by Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, David Lawrence, Faye Greenberg, Ray Cham, Greg Cham, Andrew Seeley, Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Jamie Houston.
High School Musical centers on the unlikely friendship that evolves between the jock Troy and brainiac Gabriella at a karaoke contest. Little did the two know that she would be transferring into his school. The duo decide — against their friends' wishes and to the dismay of school stars (a drama queen and her twin brother) — to audition for the high school musical.
The cast features Zac Efron ("Summerland"), Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"), Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, Monique Coleman as the featured teens with Alyson Reed, Bart Johnson and Joey Miyashima.
Ortega directed and choreographed Disney's "Newsies." Among his other choreographic film credits are "Dirty Dancing," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Pretty in Pink," "St. Elmo's Fire," "Xanadu" and " To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar." He also directed and choreographed the short-lived Broadway musical Marilyn centering on the actress Marilyn Monroe. He was just announced as the new director-choreographer for the Australian tour of The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman.
