| The
cultural sensation “High
School Musical” reaches a whole new
level of “cool” with Disney’s
High School Musical: The Ice Tour. The
international tour will come to
London,this winter, it was announced
today by Thomas Schumacher, president of
Disney Theatrical Productions, and Kenneth
Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment.
The ice tour will feature a live fusion
of songs, dance and team-spirited fun to
celebrate the music of the original Emmy
Award-winning Disney Channel movie, and
its sequel “High School Musical 2,” which
is set to debut on the Channel this summer. Disney’s
High School Musical: The Ice Tour is
being produced by Feld Entertainment and
Kenny Ortega and mounted in cooperation
with Schumacher and his team at Disney
Theatrical Productions.
Commenting on the announcement, Schumacher
said, “‘High School Musical’ has
been a smash hit in virtually every area
of the entertainment spectrum from television
and home entertainment to soundtracks,
and live concert tours. The ice tour
celebrates the fun and music in a whole
new and exciting way. Feld Entertainment
is the undisputed expert in its field,
and we’re working closely with them
and the movie’s original creators
to make this a fantastic experience for
audiences of all ages.”
Kenneth Feld, a Tony® Award-winning
producer, said, “We brought together
a creative dream team who will deliver
a top-notch production that celebrates
moments from the movies in an ice spectacular
that will fill arenas with lights, music,
dancing, and spirit. Kenny Ortega has pumped
incredible genius into this production
and we’re thrilled to be collaborating
with him.”
“We’ll be recruiting some
of the world’s most talented skaters
to play East High School’s own Troy,
Gabriella, Ryan, Sharpay, Chad and Taylor,” said
Nicole Feld, producer. “They’ll
be heating up the ice performing chart-topping
tunes and signature choreography, and with
the ice as the dance floor, this event
will be an unprecedented twist on a fan
favorite.”
Disney’s High School Musical:
The Ice Tour will feature music
from the popular “High School Musical” soundtrack,
including “We’re All in This
Together,” “Get’cha
Head in the Game,” “Start
of Something New,” “Stick
to the Status Quo,” along with
new music from “High School Musical
2.”
Rich Ross, president, Disney Channel Worldwide,
said, "We are so proud to have introduced ‘High
School Musical’ to the world and
to see its popularity continue to grow
in so many ways. The ice tour is a fantastic
way to build upon the experience for its
millions of fans worldwide while introducing
the music and dancing to a new audience."
"High School Musical," an Emmy
Award-winning Disney Channel Original Movie,
premiered in January 2006 in the U.S. and
through the year, on 25 Disney Channels
and free-to-air broadcasters, reaching
over 100 countries and over 100 million
unique viewers worldwide. In the U.S.,
its soundtrack was the #1 album of the
year in 2006 (certified quadruple Platinum
by the RIAA), and broke records on the
Billboard charts with an unprecedented
nine original songs making the "Hot
100." It was the #1 TV movie on DVD
for the year and sold 7.2 million units
have been sold around the world. In fall
2006, Disney Theatrical adapted the teleplay
for local school productions, and it is
anticipated that 2000 schools will produce
stage versions in the first year alone.
Schumacher added, “The first of our
regional professional theatre licensed
productions was a huge success earlier
this year during its five-week run in Atlanta’s
Theatre of the Stars, and we’re currently
in discussions on how to tour that production
starting later this year. Additionally,
by June of this year, more than 1,000 schools
will have licensed and staged the show,
representing an unprecedented 5,000 performances.”
Beginning on June 8th, an all-new, full-scale
live stage version of “High School
Musical” is scheduled to begin its
tour of the United States and Canada with
initial bookings in over 60 cities. This
new touring stage adaptation of the hit
musical movie, is being produced by Disney
Theatrical Productions (the division responsible
for “The Lion King,” “Beauty
and the Beast,” and “Mary Poppins”),
and will be directed by Jeff Calhoun (a
multiple Tony Award nominee). The
new musical stage version is scheduled
to play in Toronto with dates to be announced
shortly.
Internationally, “High School Musical” has
aired on Disney Channels (26 worldwide)
and free-to-air broadcasters, reaching
over 100 countries. For the September
2006 premiere in India, the music was re-recorded
in Hindi with Indian instrumentation and
more rhythmic beats to achieve a “Bollywood” sound.
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