Monday, September 10, 2007 Did you watch it last night? By Luis A. Quibranza III USJ-R Masscom Intern
ABOUT a year ago, the world was overcome with endearment for high school kids acting, singing and dancing on Cable TV.
Months ago, a whole class of 50 students in an “exclusive-for-guys” school would stay silent a day after viewing last year’s premiere. This was because they harbored the perception that admitting to watching the show would be deemed socially controversial and damning to their masculinity.
But these days, rarely does a person go on living life without at least hearing the words”High School Musical” coming out from nowhere in the middle of their coffee chats with friends. It’s such a hit; even the buffed-up guy on the street can demand your attention when he goes on singing “soaring. . .” while flexing his biceps. With this apparent TV hit comes numerous prodding from loved ones for folks who never watched the show to go get a DVD or something, simply because watching the film has become the norm today. Know at least the plot, or get left out.
But since the fresh release, all sorts of questions have been hurled from one side to another. Big and trivial questions like: What’s going to happen to Troy and Gabriella? Will the sophomore soundtrack contain enough spunk to satisfy the critics and fans? Will some songs have meaner guitar solos? Will Ryan and Sharpay come up with a rap? Will Gabriella devote her time to another subject besides Mathematics? Will Troy try out for the 2008 Olympics? Will Zeke ever show us his secret recipes on how to make his best-tasting cookies and crème brulee?
That day finally arrived! Answering some of the questions drafted from the first film, the much-awaited sequel of the musical finally reached the Philippine shores (or should I say air waves) yesterday! Kids of all ages were glued to their household’s television set and were anticipating every second of the countdown.
But the main question to be answered for any anticipated sequel is this: Is it better? The music will always be soul for this project. If you are waiting for unfathomable depths and unexpected twists with regards to the film’s story-making, then forget it.
In the twinkling on an eye, Breaking Free first captured the world’s ears, and next thing we knew, it brought the film to the world’s eyes.
This has been without a doubt one of the most anticipated and widely watched TV films of all time. Surprising we might add, considering the first film offered nothing new when it came to concepts and scripts. What helped propel the first attempt during 2006 to the heights of stardom and the Billboard List was the music nonetheless.
According to Billboard.Com: “The first 'High School Musical' soundtrack topped the chart numerous times last year and has sold 4.1 million copies to date. The Disney Channel’s premiere of 'High School Musical 2' on Aug. 17 scored 17.24 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time.”
