"High School Musical 2" opened at the Canyon Theatre Guild last Friday night, picking up pretty much where "High School Musical" left off. It offers the same busting-at-the-seams teen energy and suspend-your-disbelief fun. However, it may suffer a bit from the "sequel effect." For those thoroughly indoctrinated in the series, there is no need to get to know the characters, and HSM2 assumes you are already a fan. You're pretty much expected to know most everyone from the start and tag along on their next ride.

That next ride takes the East High kids to the Lava Springs Country Club for summer vacation, where most of them are employees - except, naturally, for siblings Sharpay and Ryan. Their father owns the place. This time, performances in a talent show are at stake, along with possible college scholarships - and the romance between Troy and Gabriella.

Director Patti Finley noted that the weeks of rehearsal ahead of Friday's opener (including the holidays) were a challenging period for her high school-age actors. But, "They really have been committed to being here. I appreciate that kind of dedication," she said. She also complimented her production staff, which helped her relate to the issues of today's teens.

About HSM2, Finley said, "It's not heavy on drama. I like it because it's upbeat. Because it's as innocent as it is, I think it's a good thing for kids today." And though she was unsure, at first, about the show, she said, "Now I walk around the house singing the songs."

As I mentioned last time, plot in any "High School Musical" is of minor importance. The show is about singing and dancing and EN-ER-GY.

That is evident right from the start, and especially in the full-cast numbers, where the singer/dancers seem to gather strength and excitement from each other - and the result really draws you in.

A few of my favorites, for music and for choreography, were "Fabulous," "I Don't Dance," "Every Day" and the finale, "All for One."
Truthfully, the smaller musical numbers were a little bit of hit and miss, with the songs so-very dependent on individual voices, some of which are still finding themselves. But be that as it may, the heart and soul poured out onstage in HSM2 will win you over.
There are some good chuckles in this production, which are fun for everyone, but even more so for true fans. A couple of these include Sharpay and Ryan in camouflage, and Sharpay yanking Troy around in "You are the Music in Me." The audience loved Ryan in his fish outfit, as well.

During the talent show scene, there were several funny "talents" presented, but these were pretty much just crosses of the stage. You will find yourself wanting them to last longer.

As always with such a large production, there is only room (and memory) enough to comment on a few actors.

Lawrence Wayne Patchin plays the male lead, Troy Bolton, with a true innocence that makes him believable, and Troy would have to be innocent, nay, almost backward, to be so easily manipulated by Sharpay. (But, here I remind myself that this is not to be taken seriously.)

Kamber Moen plays the female lead, Gabriella Montez, with a little less naiveté and a lot more strength, the kind that stands up to Sahrpay in the end. Because of this you actually feel something is at stake, even while you know all will turn out well.

Felice Wurst plays the antagonist, Sharpay Evens, with a good mix of sham and shallow, and she really brings some of her musical numbers to life. With her second shot at learning to be human, Sharpay finally seems to grow a heart in the end, which provides emotional satisfaction.

Tim Kendall plays Sharpay's brother, Ryan Evans, as he did in the first HSM at CTG, with a very professional stage presence and dancing skills. Ryan grew his heart in the first HSM, which puts him at odds with his sister almost right from the start here. This provides the secondary story and allows for Sharpay's eventual growth.

The rest of the cast sets a great background for the leads, especially Alexis Crane as Ms. Fulton, and the girls who play the Sharpettes, Sharpay's backup group.