Teen anthem meets Pinoy pride

It’s been targeted towards tweens, yet almost every 20-year-old in town – in some cases, young-at-heart 30-year-olds pushing 15 – is into the cult phenom that’s been spreading like wildfire on Disney Channels worldwide. I’m talking about High School Musical, the breakout TV movie where kids burst into song every few minutes. Compared to the gritty Larry Clark-inspired teen flicks that have been grabbing headlines of late, the film’s premise seems almost delightfully out-of-date: When popular blond baller Troy and studious new kid Gabriella break out of their comfort zones and try out for lead roles in the school musical, suddenly all is askew in the clique-friendly, strict social hierarchy of East High. Since this is Disney, the story is cheerfully upbeat. Think a younger, less-emotionally fraught West Side Story; replace the gangs with cliquish high school kids – divided into groups consisting of jocks, cheerleaders and nerds – in suburbia with a penchant for fashions in primary colors and you have a TV movie that broke major records.

Record Breaker

When it debuted in the US, preceded by heavy promotion and aired every day, the movie garnered eight million viewers, followed by six million the next day. As soon as the videos dropped onto iTunes, they became some of the most popular downloads on the site. The movie soundtrack – the final move in Disney’s clever game of synergy – quickly hit number one on the Billboard pop charts. Twice.

The film is so popular that when a karaoke version was aired, with the lyrics flashing on the bottom of the screen, so that viewers could finally participate in what’s become one of the biggest hits on cable TV, it became another Nielsen-verified hit.

When it premiered here, the movie ranked first in its timeslot, among other networks, and was the number one show among kid viewers of the Disney Channel aged seven to 12.

Even Disney execs were baffled by the overwhelming success of High School Musical. "I knew we had something when everybody around the office was asking for a copy of the CD before it came out," Gary Marsh, president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, told the Associated Press. Soon Disney was capitalizing on the worldwide success of the runaway hit.

Asian Translation

An Asian version of the single Breaking Free, which hit platinum in 13 days, will debut on the Disney Channel on July 23, Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. after the broadcast of the karaoke version, dubbed High School Musical Sing-Along. Nikki Gil, from the Philippines, is one of the three Asian vocalists performing, along with Singapore’s Alicia Pan and Malaysia’s Vince Chong. "We’ve given the song an R&B and pop arrangement," said Mai Tatoy, senior manager of communication at Walt Disney Television International (Southeast Asia), "and tapped into the rich musical heritage of Asia by blending Asian instruments like the Chinese flute, Guzhen, pipa and tablas to give the song a very unique and distinctly Asian feel."

"It’s the first time I’ve ever worked with anyone out of the country," gushed Gil, who flew to Singapore to record the single and tape the video. The 18-year-old college junior, who cut her teeth in the music industry as a VJ for MYX, was originally daunted by the thought of working with foreign talents. "They were kind of intimidating, actually," she said. Soon enough she was singing their praises. "Alicia and Vince are fun-loving people. Music is our passion so we really got along."

Class Act

The grueling schedule didn’t faze Gil, who had to shoot the entire video in two and a half days. "These artists were a dream to work with," said Tatoy. "Totally ego-less," she added matter-of-factly. "You can be proud of Nikki because she was a professional."

The shy up-and-comer shares some similarities with Gabriella, whose part she shares with Alicia Pan in Breaking Free. "I identify with Gabriella the most, because I spend a lot of time studying," Gil, who’s seen the film about 20 times, confessed. "I was a nerd. A geek."

Currently studying in Ateneo, the self-confessed geek believes in the message behind the song. "It’s a teen anthem. It’s about breaking free from the things that keep us from accomplishing our dreams." And, she’s quick to add, the song is about believing in yourself.

"After all," concluded Gil, "you need to believe in yourself before people can believe in you. You have to believe in your own skills and talents before people can see that you have potential. It all starts from within."