Movie musicals combine two of my favourite things in the world: movies and musicals. And two of my favourite movie musicals are The Disney Channel’s High School Musical and the adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables. The big question that is left looming is, "which one is more favourite." Both movies are favourite, but one must be more favourite. Well, I’m here to put that question to bed at last: High School Musical is better than Les Misérables.
1) High School Musical made stars rather than using them
There’s no denying that Les Mis has a star-studded cast. They collectively flaunt two Oscars from nine nominations, but while Les Mis was busy filling up its credits with big names, High School Musical was doing something undeniably harder: making the names in its credits big. Troy Bolton, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, these didn’t use to be household names. Before HSM, none had done anything more than act in some small-time TV movies and shows. Since then they’ve been in . . . High School Musical 2, . . . 17 Again, Aliens in the Attic, . . . High School Musical 3, and some more small-time TV movies and shows. Ashley Tisdale has even gone on to release two semi-popular albums.
2) High School Musical hadn’t been spoiled yet
Watching Les Mis there are no surprises (beyond “I Dreamed a Dream” coming after “Lovely Ladies”). Even watching it for my first time, I wasn’t wondering whether Marius and Cosette would get together--I wasn’t wondering whether Jean Valjean and Mdm. Thenardier were going to get to-gether--I already knew! And so did most other people because either they’d seen it on stage or else they claimed to have read the book. HSM was all original though. I was wondering if Troy and Gabriella would get together because it wasn’t super obvious or predictable or anything.
3) Choreography
High School Musical boasted some of the finest choreography I’ve seen (I helped choreograph Olympus Ensemble’s “Kiss the Girl,” so yeah, I know choreography). From large group choreography like “Stick to the Status Quo,” to small ensemble choreo-graphy like “Getcha Head in the Game,” to individual choreography like Zac Efron’s “Bet On It” (which is actually in number 2), HSM shows its expertise across the entire spectrum. Les Mis hardly manages any chor-eography at all. The best they can do is convicts pulling a ship into harbour (not even to beat) and people standing around looking stoic.
4) Zac Efron
5) High School Musical has relatable themes
Most of us are confident we won’t spend nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread; nor will we ever be forced to sell our bodies in order to keep our child alive; nor would we ever consider running away from our wealthy adopted father, the only thing between us and living on the streets, for a boy we’ve spoken to (or rather sung to) for a couple minutes through a gate. What we can relate to is high school, especially one that breaks into song all the time. We can relate to being devilishly attractive, being good at both athletics and performing arts, being the coolest kid around, and being teased for being too good at everything.
BOTTOM LINE: High School Musical is just better. Don’t believe me, ask any fourteen-year-old girl five years ago.
1) High School Musical made stars rather than using them
There’s no denying that Les Mis has a star-studded cast. They collectively flaunt two Oscars from nine nominations, but while Les Mis was busy filling up its credits with big names, High School Musical was doing something undeniably harder: making the names in its credits big. Troy Bolton, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, these didn’t use to be household names. Before HSM, none had done anything more than act in some small-time TV movies and shows. Since then they’ve been in . . . High School Musical 2, . . . 17 Again, Aliens in the Attic, . . . High School Musical 3, and some more small-time TV movies and shows. Ashley Tisdale has even gone on to release two semi-popular albums.
2) High School Musical hadn’t been spoiled yet
Watching Les Mis there are no surprises (beyond “I Dreamed a Dream” coming after “Lovely Ladies”). Even watching it for my first time, I wasn’t wondering whether Marius and Cosette would get together--I wasn’t wondering whether Jean Valjean and Mdm. Thenardier were going to get to-gether--I already knew! And so did most other people because either they’d seen it on stage or else they claimed to have read the book. HSM was all original though. I was wondering if Troy and Gabriella would get together because it wasn’t super obvious or predictable or anything.
3) Choreography
High School Musical boasted some of the finest choreography I’ve seen (I helped choreograph Olympus Ensemble’s “Kiss the Girl,” so yeah, I know choreography). From large group choreography like “Stick to the Status Quo,” to small ensemble choreo-graphy like “Getcha Head in the Game,” to individual choreography like Zac Efron’s “Bet On It” (which is actually in number 2), HSM shows its expertise across the entire spectrum. Les Mis hardly manages any chor-eography at all. The best they can do is convicts pulling a ship into harbour (not even to beat) and people standing around looking stoic.
4) Zac Efron
5) High School Musical has relatable themes
Most of us are confident we won’t spend nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread; nor will we ever be forced to sell our bodies in order to keep our child alive; nor would we ever consider running away from our wealthy adopted father, the only thing between us and living on the streets, for a boy we’ve spoken to (or rather sung to) for a couple minutes through a gate. What we can relate to is high school, especially one that breaks into song all the time. We can relate to being devilishly attractive, being good at both athletics and performing arts, being the coolest kid around, and being teased for being too good at everything.
BOTTOM LINE: High School Musical is just better. Don’t believe me, ask any fourteen-year-old girl five years ago.