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"High School Musical" Character Outed in Disney Stage Production“It's safe to say that we are having a blast on stage,” says Dante Russo, a 26-year old actor who plays both a basketball player and a theater geek in the ensemble. “It's such a high energy show that it would be impossible not to give it one hundred percent. In TV, a character knows when a camera is going to zoom in on him and what moments are going to be seen by the at-home audience. In live theatre, if you're on that stage, you have to be ‘on’ at all times. You create backstories for your characters and really flesh it out.”
Dante Russo High School Musical on Tour! is different from High School Musical: The Concert, a touring production that featured cast members from the movie (and, for that matter, it’s also different from High School Musical: The Ice Tour, another touring production that is currently competing with the stage adaptation for the attention of the nation’s “tween” girls). The stage version, which is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, was conceived almost immediately after the unexpected success of the first movie, which premiered on the Disney Channel in January 2006. Disney created two versions of the play, a shortened 70-minute version for middle schools and a full two-act version for high schools and professional companies. Atlanta’s Theatre of the Stars premiered the play not even a year after the movie first aired. Since then, there have been more than 1500 amateur productions. Lucas Grabeel has played the role of Ryan in both released movies, and will reprise the role in the upcoming theatrical release. Bobby List plays the role in the stage adaptation.
Lucas Grabeel High School Musical on Tour! started its tour of 37 cities in July 2007 and will end in August. A separate U.K. tour began in January. More information, including the remaining tour dates, can be found at www.highschoolmusicalontour.com. AfterElton.com reader William F. suggested the topic for this article.
Submitted by on Tue, 2008-06-10 09:19. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
Is there anything else to the character?
Better coded than stereotyped
In the original telemovie,
In the original telemovie, Ryan's most outward gay act was squealing at the thought of meeting Ashton Kutcher. Plus, he is the only major (AKA named) teen character that has zero interest in the opposite sex.
His queer quotient was diminished in the sequel telemovie - they butched him up with some sports and even suggested that Troy, the male lead, was jealous of the attention Ryan earned from the female lead.
I saw the stage show and enjoyed it. List, who played Ryan, was better than the original actor. The dialogue and acting was very campy and this Ryan was flamboyant. Is that a stereotype? Sure, but other than stating the character is gay or showing him with another boy, what other way could they allude to it?
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See...I'm torn on this...
Score - 1:Inclusion 0:Originality
Sure, but other than stating the character is gay or showing him with another boy, what other way could they allude to it?
I'm wondering why it had to be alluded to? Why not just make the character gay. Yes...he could just be your average teen without all the clothing, snarky or campy stereotypes. Or with the stereotypes plus a few non-stereotypes. And are all the straight characters linked up with another character of the opposite sex? Or do any of them just casually mention a person they are interested in or attracted to? I think his homosexuality could be presented just like their heterosexuality was presented.
Also...I hate when it's said a character is "butched up". Not just here but when they say it in other programs as well. Playing sports isn't butched up just like liking school plays isn't fem'd up. Half the guys on my baseball team were part of our theater program.
But thanks to all for the answers...I was just wondering how it was all played out.
I agree this is the 21st
century, gay visibility should be moving beyond the "gay queen" stereotype and embrace the fact that gay men can be naturally masculine, feminine or somewhere in between. Many gay men I interact with play sports and have little or no interest in what this character is interested in. And I personally don't see anything wrong with that. Disney is taking the easy way out by having the gay character be non-threatening to their hetero mainstream audience.
Just imagine if he loved the stage and the gridiron and had a relationship with a fellow member of the football team. Many straight people would find that uncomfortable, but that is what needed more and more in society. Without a bit of discomfort people will not have their prejudices challenged.
Cheers
JBE
Not only stereotypes
Marie...from the article
In the movie, Ryan dresses stylishly, is musically inclined, wears a different hat with every outfit, and, unlike all the other main characters, has no apparent love interest. As a result, many observers, including some here at AfterElton.com, have interpreted him as a “coded gay” character — a character that the creative team conceived of as gay, even if the movies never come out and say so directly.
Also from the article...
On stage, the character also dresses even flashier than in the movies, gets some catty witticisms, and is played with a more flamboyant lilt.
The items that you mentioned...the pictures and the "swoon" are part of his outing on stage.
Having never seen the musical (other than short videos of the songs) I was curious...and hopeful...that the assumptions people were making were based on more than the stereotypes. I mean...wouldn't it be interesting to see one of the basketball players who isn't flamboyant or a flashy dresser open his locker and have pictures of guys? Or hell...any one who wasn't flashy and flamboyant. A theater geek who is addicted to WOW and likes NiN. Something new that would challenge Red State America's gay comfort zone.
Either way...it's good to be included...even if it's the most obvious of inclusions. Maybe they'll have a chunky girl with dating problems be his hag in a future tour...really challange the stereotypes.
Just replying to your original question...
Well duh!
The High school musical debate settled?
Here's the thing.I got up on my computer today fuming because I saw a few bits of this article, but hadn't sat down, and read the whole thing yet.I was fully ready to rip into David Simpatico and this play.Now that i've actually read it.....I don't know.I read the lines "Yes, I consider him a yound gay guy without ever having to say.I'd rather say with behavior and action.And we do.", and I was pissed.I don't feel as strongly now that I know he meant something other than just stereotypes.
Don't get me wrong.I've always been a vocal critic of the whole situation.I've said from the start I didn't consider him gay because i'm not going to feed into that bullshit of "let's make him readable as gay without actually being gay by turning him into a non-threatening flamboyant characature of a gay person for the comfort of the "family audience".I wasn't going to do it.I have more self respect as a gay person than that, but OK.People who kept insisting Ryan was gay, you win.He's gay.
I still find that character and the idea of "gay tinting", or "gay coding" insulting and offensive on many levels.I also had one of my "are you fucking kidding me?" spasms when Simpatico said "I'm proud of the fact that in this Disney show, there is a strong gay character who actually becomes the hero of the piece".I don't get people who hold this character up as some sort gay achievement because he's not the first person to have said something like that.I've heard a few AfterElton readers say similar things.In fact, I think that says alot about Simpatico, those people, and their mind set that they consider and accept that as some kind "positive" portrayal of a "strong gay characacter".
gay on hsm?
yeh, i agree mate, it's like saying "it's ok to be gay as long as you're in the closet" or "sure, we can have a gay hero as long as they are not publically out" it just doesn't cut it.
If y'all love this phenomenon called High School Musical. . .
. . .who am I to whizz on your shoes?
But I always thought it was a 1950's-styled knockoff of the movie CAMP.
Enjoy!
Been there, done that, bought the soundtrack!
Everyone just has to think