Yesterday (Thursday, 22 May 2008) M-Net gathered press from around the country to announce the latest news about their 2008 reality season.
A month ago they announced
Big Brother Africa 3, last week they announced the new gameshow
The Power Of Ten but they've been secretive about what their flashiest venture for the year's going to be.
On Tuesday TVSA got a call to say all the necessary contracts had been signed for a new show and they were ready to spill the news.
The announcement was made at Parktown Convent school hall, in downtown Rosebank where we got greeted by Schoolers having their break outside - they were just sort of noodling around not doing much, yet seeming very busy.
Everyone there for the news went into the hall, the lights dimmed and next thing we were surrounded by about thirty high schoolers going wild on basketballs, music, dancing and singing songs from the film High School musical.
At this point I breathed a sigh of relief - was terrified it was going to be Idols 20! - and while everyone caught their breath in between numbers it was announced that show's going to be a reality competition based on Disney's popular High School Musical movies.
It's called High School Musical: Spotlight On South Africa and it's a search for two performers to play the lead roles in an SA stage version of the films aka a search for a Troy and Gabriella.
The must-know facts:The audition process is the focus of the series - auditions are open to anyone aged 16 to 25. They're happening countrywide - except for Bloem 'cos of them not being on the same planet obviously.
High School Musical trucks will visit about 200 schools to audition hopefuls and open audition days will be held at centres in PE, Durbs, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Half of the season follows the auditions with live broadcasts from the different cities and then 40 finalists will be chosen who'll then go through a training process.
They'll live in a house together and be trained by a vocal coach, choreographer, producer and musical director - with no drama teacher, which sucks! It happens in every talent show that they leave this out yet it's such a crucial aspect that's needed across all disciplines -'spesh seeings as things culminate in a live stage show.
There's no major news confirmed about the live show in terms of where it's going to be on exactly but from the sounds of it the focus will be on the bigger centres like Jo'burg and Cape Town. The two winners will be cast as the leads and depending on what the rest of the 40 are like, some might be cast in other roles.
Voting for it's the same as Idols: SMS, Mixit, the web etc. Each week contestants are given a creative task and it's all up to the public to choose their favourites - I know, major problem - but the trainers can argue back by saving someone they feel shouldn't be voted out.
Pop history of the formatThe reality concept is based on a format created by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2006 for the BBC. They premiered it with a show called How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? that searched for the best performer to play Maria von Trapp in The Sound Of Music on the West End.
They went on to do Any Dream Will Do - that found a Joseph for Andrew Loyd Webber's Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and I'd Do Anything - that found a Nancy and three Faganites for Oliver.
The format then went across to the US where they did a search for a Danny and Sandy for the Broadway version of Grease - which got a record breaking 9 million dollars in ticket sales when it opened. It's success sent it back to the UK where they did Grease Is The World - the same search for the West End.
Searching SA
Disney and M-Net are working together to see how the HMS format pans out here - we're the first country Disney's trying it in.
While we do ours, Disney's premiering a similar show in the US called High School Musical: Get In The Picture in July but the prize is different - the winners win a lead role in the music video for the third movie that's being released in October.
The competition is onAuditions start on June 1st in PE. The show then goes to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
Open days in each city are:
Port Elizabeth - 6 June
Cape Town - 13 June
Johannesburg - 19 and 20 June
Durban - 27 June
All the final details of the open days will be announced soon - will keep you posted in
Casting Calls.
How to enterThere aren't any entry forms - if you're between 16 and 25, you can just arrive on the day and register. You need to take ID book with you and if you're younger than 18 you need to take a parent or guardian - ideally in your rucksack so they don't get pushy.
Most ImportantThe show premieres on
Saturday, 2 August at 19h00 and will be on both Saturdays and Mondays at the same time.
------