Camp Rock

While I was in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah many moons ago, I met a kid named Jason Langlois who is simply electrifying.  He's fun and he's loud and he's wild and he's quirky and he's comical... and he's talented.  Just a few days ago I had the opportunity of seeing him perform in a local production of Disney's Camp Rock: The Musical and his talent was made even more apparent.

My fabulous friend Jason played a supporting character named Sander Loya who, along with some other break-dancing boys, was the source of much comic relief.  Jason did a fantastic job.  When I had asked him previously what part he was playing, he cheekily replied, "The best part!"  Upon seeing the show, I would have to agree!  He was so full of energy and always spot on with those dance routines.  I was impressed to say the least.  I never knew the skinny guy had it in him!

The show was put on by the SCERA Center for the Arts here in Orem, Utah.  Here are some of my thoughts on this particular production of Camp Rock:

• Disney is able to produce some of the cheesiest yet ultra-addicting pop music known to man.  You can try not to like it, but you will fail.
• Pulling songs from two Disney Channel movies (Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam) and then shoving it into one stage show results in a musical that is heavy on the music and light on the plot.  They would say a sentence or two and then sing another song.  Sometimes songs were just back to back.  Sometimes you didn't even know why they were singing the song at all...
• Mitchie's big finale from the first movie, "This is Me", is sung right at the beginning of the stage version.  It has no emotional weight here, which is unfortunate.
• It was performed on an outdoor stage, meaning lots of mosquitoes to suck you dry.
• Being outdoors, you don't appreciate the full beauty of the set until the second act when it's dark enough to notice the lighting.  Their backdrop was really cool looking!
• Orem, Utah seems to be a bit short on talent these days.  When casting Shane Gray and his pop star brothers (originally played by The Jonas Brothers), the casting director here decided on choosing the weirdest looking kids he could find.  One of them looked as if he belonged with the vultures from Disney's The Jungle Book.  Beetles hair cut, long neck... you get my drift.  The lead "heart throb" Shane Gray was played by a balding kid who looked like he was in his mid to late forties.  Of course looks aren't everything, but unfortunately his voice proved inadequate in many of his big numbers.  When he and the girl who played Mitchie sang "Wouldn't Change a Thing" I literally cringed.  It was like nails on a chalkboard.  People in Utah need to know that belting is not equivalent to screaming.
• Camp Rock can be really fun with a good friend!  Thanks for coming with me, Michelle!