Disney goes back to 'School'
Stage version aims to hit market in October
The Disney Channel telepic, about a jock guy and a brainy girl brought together by their school tuner, is being developed by Disney Theatrical Prods. into a stage adaptation to be licensed around the country.
It's just another platform for the property's wild success. The movie's Jan. 20 preem drew 7.7 million viewers, the biggest audience in the cabler's history, and many of those have returned for repeat airings. The soundtrack topped the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and a single, "Breaking Free," made the biggest one-week jump in Billboard history, rocketing from No. 86 to No. 4.
The soundtrack was the top seller on iTunes for three weeks, while the telepic itself became the first full-length feature available for download on the site.
Disney Theatrical will partner with Musical Theater Intl. to make rights available for local productions. MTI also licenses Disney Broadway properties "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aida," as well as kiddie tuners "Aladdin Junior" and "The Jungle Book Kids."
Movie version of "High School" was helmed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who choreographed movie tuners "Dirty Dancing" and "Xanadu," among others, and has been tapped to helm Hugh Jackman's Australian stadium tour of "The Boy From Oz."
The stage version of "High School Musical" aims to hit the market in October.
