The set-up of the concert is basic. The cast runs out on stage to sing a song from the soundtrack (sometimes accompanied by scenes from the Tv Movie), brief interviews with cast members pop up before the next song, and cast members like Ashley Tisdale perform a song from their own album.

I realize I am not the target audience for "High School Musical," but I am still baffled by its enormous popularity. Granted, teeny boppers were destined to eat up this Teen Beat filled concert, but the musical concert itself is quite unspectacular. The entire production feels like a rejected idea pitched in the 80's. Plus, you never once get the impression of a high school setting (at least in the concert.) It should have been called "Sixth Grade Musical." Young kids are the audience here, not high schoolers. Watching this program would get you beat up in a real life high school.

As for the songs, they are filled with cheesy and cliched inspirational messages that repeatedly beat you over the head like "Marching To The Beat Of Your Own Drum" and "We're In This Together." Additionally, some of the lyrics are embarrassingly bad such as "Show Some Muscle/Do the Hustle!" from the song "Bop To The Top." If kids are enjoying this musical, parents owe it to themselves and to their children to give them a Musicals 101 lesson. Try letting them watch REAL musicals set in High School like "Grease," "Footloose," "Rock 'N' Roll High School," or heck even "Good News."

As for the cast, aside from the overly energetic Lucas Gabreel, they mainly go through the motions or flash phony smiles to the audience (although to be fair, I'm sure they are all beat from touring.) Very little interaction with the audience takes place other than the traditional sucking up comments like "We love you all." Keep in mind that I am not criticizing the cast's singing abilities. Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hodgens both have strong voices and have more talent in one finger than the all of the "American Idol" contestants.

Another letdown that fans of the show will be sad to know is that 5 songs were cut from this performance. Not only does it seem cheap to release an incomplete concert, it's unfair to all the fans expecting to hear their favorite tunes. Nice way to drop the ball Disney.

The DVD

Video:
The 1.33:1 fullscreen video may contain too many light reflections, but overall the performances on stage are well shot. Watching this disk is the closest experience you will have to seeing them live without being in the stands.

Sound: The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound is uneven at best. The combination of the loud music and screaming girls in the crowd drown out the singing by the actors and actresses from time to time.

Extras: A rundown of the extras:

* Previews and sneak peeks for "The Jungle Book" DVD, "Underdog," "Suite Life of Zack and Cody," "Return To Halloweentown," "Meet The Robinsons," "Bridge To Terabithia," "Santa Clause 3," "Peter Pan: Return To Neverland," and of course "High School Musical 2."

* Opening act Jordan Pruitt performs 4 songs titled "Teenager," "Jump To The Rhythm," "Outside Looking In," and "Miss Popularity." Honestly, she sounds like every other pop artist in the music business today.

* U Direct A Song- A feature in which you the viewer can pick a variety of camera angles for the stage performances of the songs "Start of Something New," "Get'cha Head In The Game," "Bop To The Top," "Breaking Free," and "We're All In This Together."

* Jump to a song option.

* A 9 minute "High School Musical On The Road" featurette which is the highlight of the whole disk. The behind the scenes extra chronicles a day in the life of the performers leading up to their concert. We see them meet and greet fans after the show, hop on a tour bus to the next concert, do interviews with press, do soundchecks and promos, etc. Anyone eager to know about the touring process will have fun watching this fun extra.

Final Thoughts:
Although I have only seen the concert and not the TV movie, I have to say for those curious about the phenomenon "Don't believe the hype." However, those who worship the ground the cast walks on will undoubtedly snatch up the disk regardless of what I or anyone say.

Film and television enthusiast Nick Lyons recently had his first book published titled "Attack of the Sci-Fi Trivia." It is available on Amazon.com.