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Written by David Benkof Sunday, 13 April 2008 12:58

High School Musical on Ice is a delightful, entertaining "capade" of twentysomething men and women pretending to be high school students.

Scottrade Center
St. Louis, Mo.

High School Musical on Ice is a delightful, entertaining "capade" of twentysomething men and women pretending to be high school students. Based on the popular Disney Channel movies High School Musical and High School Musical 2, the show is one manifestation of what has become a true phenomenon among its target populations, which according to the show's publicist are girls age 6-15 and gay men (no comment as to which category, if any, I fit into).

The show follows the adventures of Troy, the basketball star, and Gabriella, the intellectual, as they both decide to try out for the school musical. They get the lead parts -- and fall in love.

During one scene, the lyrics are projected on a screen, allowing the audience to sing along. But based on what I saw, most of the attendees already knew all the lyrics -- and dialogue -- by heart already from watching the eponymous movie over and over again.

Bradley Santer is a true standout as the adorable Troy, although for some reason he shaves his armpits. I understand why swimmers shave their legs, but is there something about ice skaters that makes them want to depilate? Are hockey players in on the secret?

In the cavernous Scottrade Center, audience members felt comfortable shouting at the characters. In my row, one fan who was, well, not from the 6-15-year-old female demographic, shouted "Don't do it!" to the skaters when two of the characters seemed on the verge of breaking up.

The scenes with basketballs were a lot of fun, as was the number "Stick to the Status Quo." Unlike some shows, this one is a lot more fun up close, which you might think about if you're buying tickets.

Oh, and one more thing. The press packet I was given for the show was in Spanish -- which I don't speak, but I feel compelled to offer la opinion anyway. So here goes: High School Musical on Ice es muy bueno. | High School Musical on Ice | 03.12.08