High School Musical   Although your children are undoubtedly obsessed with this pop-phenomenon, there's no reason to dismiss it outright.  High school Musical is an old-fashioned classic Disney production, one which brings back a distinct innocence that used to be a Disney trademark for almost half a century.  The music is incredibly addictive, and the performances shine throughout.  While the characters are undeniably cliche, the story is so endearingly simplistic that it almost demands it.   The players are as likable as they are unrealistic.  And that's fine.  The film's portrayal of highschool bares nothing in resemblance to the actual experience of it , which is probably why it's so much fun. Troy and Gabriella, a popular basketball player and math nerd, respectively, meet for the first time on the kareoke stage at a party on New Years Eve.  There they are unwittingly coerced into singing a duet together, and the musical piece that follows is pure magic.  The song is so unassuming and overflowing with chemistry that it embodies the carefree, unrestrained exuberance of the entire movie.  High School Musical is so earnest that it's truly hard to find fault with it.  Even the antagonists, Sharpay and Ryan, are somewhat affable, representing little in the way of opposition and existing mainly as a vehicle for added musical numbers. And while this film isn't for everyone, if you throw off your cynicism and don your childhood mentality for an hour and a half, you're bound to have a good time.  High school Musical is refreshingly unpretentious, and a pleasant indication that your kids' taste isn't necessarily juvenile. Rating:  A- As you can see, I've played two songs from this film. Actually, I'm sure I could play more if I wanted to. The first is the charming song,"Start of Something New", and the second is the quirky, fun piece, "What I've Been Looking For".

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