There are different levels of the word "cheesy."
There's the horribly dorky "cheddar" kind of cheesy, and there's the more refined "gorgonzola" sort of cheesy.
"High School Musical" lies sort of in between.
The atmosphere before the play was how I'd imagine an 'N Sync concert was 10 years ago - little girls pranced around in their "I LOVE TROY" bedazzled pink tees, and enthusiastic moms made sure to put on their heels for the performance.
If you didn't know any better, the event could have been a Girl Scout convention.
It's that sort of wholesome "muenster" cheesiness that "High School Musical" brought to your TV screen and now the stage. It's no "Avenue Q" or "Wicked," but the show manages not only to please little kids but adults as well.
John Jeffrey Martin took on the role of Troy Bolton - made famous by Zac Efron - for the stage production of the Disney favorite.
But don't expect Martin to have deeply studied Efron's role, as he put a sort of older, rocker spin on the part. At times, his voice sounded more like he was mimicking Nickelback than a teenager singing about basketball.
Surprisingly, the show had some impressive effects. During the song "Get Your Head in the Game," basketballs rained from the stage ceiling - literally. Luckily, no actors were out of step.
My biggest gripe with the musical was Gabriella Montez' character, played by Arielle Jacobs.
Gabriella is supposed to be a nice, normal high school student, but on stage she looked more like an "America's Next Top Model" reject than a science-loving teen.
Then, there are the characters who are just plain annoying. Olivia Oguma played Kelsi Neilson, the hat-wearing teenager who spends her time writing the infamous high school musical. But with her nasally voice and unfunny jokes, she put her character into the "American" cheese category.
The least annoying character was Ryan Evans, played by Bobby List. Although he constantly is on stage with his snobby sister Sharpay Evans, played by Chandra Lee Schwartz, the blond-haired, well-dressed student shined with his dance skills and melodic voice.
The best part of the show was undoubtedly the routine in the last five minutes. Come for the kiddies, but stay for the finale.
Like most live versions of movies, "High School Musical" is better on stage than it in your DVD player.