‘High School Musical 3′ live show debuts at Disney’s California Adventure

The new “High School Musical 3″ parade debuting at Disney’s California Adventure on Friday features six new songs from the movie, including a pair of step-by-step reproductions of elaborate dance numbers.

A cast of 60 performers has been preparing three weeks for the new show — officially called “High School Musical 3: Senior Year: Right Here, Right Now” — enduring six-day-a-week, eight-hour-a-day rehearsals that start at 4 a.m. before the Anaheim theme park opens to the public, show director Randy Wojcik said.

Disney doesn’t call the show a “parade,” even though it travels along the Anaheim theme park’s parade route. A self-described “Wildcat geek,” Wojcik dubs the latest incarnation a “traveling rock concert” and a “street party.”

Just like the similarly themed “High School Musical 2″ show it replaces, the new “HSM3″ production will make stops at the Sun Plaza near the main entrance and the Golden State Stage near the former Golden Dreams attraction. A 14-person cast will perform three shows daily from the late morning to early afternoon.

The live show replicates two iconic production numbers from the upcoming movie — “A Night to Remember” and the “High School Musical” theme song.

Audience members are encouraged to participate during two songs — busting out their own signature dance moves during “A Night to Remember” and donning top hats, canes and feather boas during “I Want It All.”

The songs performed in the California Adventure “HSM3″ show include:
* “Now or Never” (opening drum cadence)
* “I Want It All” (Broadway show tune)
* “A Night to Remember” (upbeat prom dance number)
* “The Boys Are Back” (urban R&B)
* “Just Wanna Be With You” (pop anthem)
* “High School Musical” (finale theme song)

Personally, I can’t get “I Want It All” out of my head. My 8-year-old daughter, Hannah, has been listening to the song nonstop since she got the CD earlier this week.

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, opens in theaters on Friday.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the
Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Image: Disney]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 9:26 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under California, Celebrity, Disney's California Adventure, Family & Kids, Orange County, Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.