Is it just me or does it really make your teeth ache too?

Teeth grinding, teeth aching, bile uprising,cringe making,headline making, talent quaking,bilge shifting, girth quaking, ever hating High School Musical. (c)

It's hitting the spot - for youngsters.

My 9 & 10 year-old daughters LOVE it. Really LOVE it. They've got the DVD's, the CD's. They play them over & over. They know ALL the words.

Spoke to a Theatre manager friend yesterday who said the HSM live show is the MOST popular show they've ever put on - and one of the most FUN.

We may not like it - but it works!

Yes I think that's what worries me Stretch.

We all know clever marketing works wonders with kids and campaigns like this - 95% excellent on every level but the missing 5% being any musical worth - can get underneath the skin.

Producing a generation which enjoys inferior music.

Remember the Smurfs?

At least Mike Batt's Wombles had a couple of decent songs.

The kids also love "Rocky Horror" "Grease" and Johnny Dep as Sweeney Todd amongst others.
From the evidence I see, the musical is still a big thing with the younger generation.
JC Superstar and Tommy were major works to me as a kid.
Maybe this flailing industry should look at more original and new musicals as a venture.

JK wrote:
At least Mike Batt's Wombles had a couple of decent songs.


I have to confess: The Wombles "3-Record-Collection" was the first box set I ever bought. In 1975 for 1.50 pound (or so) at Swan&Edgar (Picadilly Circus), which later was Tower Records.

Sorry I have to smile DJones, which three elements qualified as records in it?
Before I laugh to loudly check out this wonderful message I have been sent about one of our novelty tracks.


.......... "This sounds like a song that would be in the worst number ones ever. But you would never get to number one. The song is terrible. Vocals, lyrics, music ALL OF IT!"............

I often remember that I was, in fact, a Womble.....

Mart wrote:
which three elements qualified as records in it?

There are three "normal" LPs included:
Wombling Songs, Keep On Wombling & Remember You're A Womble.

The highlight of the package is the lyric sheet with Womble-cartoons on the front and back.

Fantastic D Jones! And probably the best concept album ever!lol


Seriously this time, I did the sound for a band a couple of years back and I could tell that they were seasoned older pros.
I asked the bassist about his session cv, and he declared the Wombles as one of his biggest gigs.

The "Disney-bots". The revenue streams are insane for this thing. Its total manufacture and spoon fed to those kids Directly from television as the driver.

Very annoying stuff, but the kids love it apparently.

They did the same thing with Hilary Duff. Possibly the most manufactured act I've seen in a long while. Betting 100% on her tween television audience and they were successful in making that bet. She can't sing dance or act and the marketing moved 13M CD's

Disney tried to do the same thing with the girl from HSM, and it hasn't worked on her dreadful album (You want annoying, listen to a couple of those tracks)