On Saturday night (6 September) the High School Musical Top 8 performed their first show in Johannesburg and on Monday night (8 September) Darren Vercueil and Lorri Glajchen were voted out of the competition.
In a surprise announcement producer Pieter Toerien revealed that he and fellow producer Hazel Feldman were so impressed with Darren that they want him to play a leading role in High School Musical: Live On Stage.
Darren will play the role of Ryan - the second male lead in the play.
In the weekly radio roundup, Algoa fm’s listeners thought David and Danni would be in danger, Jacaranda fm predicted that Danni and Lyle would go home and Kfm said Lorri and Daniel would wave goodbye.
Daniel, Lorri, Tsephi and Darren had received the fewest votes this week and each sang a song from High School Musical 2. The guys sang Every Day and the girls You Are The Music In Me. They all told Dalen that they had done their best, despite the nerves.
In the end Pieter Toerien decided to save Tsephi and Daniel.
“Hazel and I would be delighted to have any of you eight in the show,” Toerien said as he made his decision. Directing his attention to Lorri, he commented that she was “a typical Disney leading lady type, but Gabriella is not a typical Disney leading lady role.” So he saved Tsephi.
Daniel, he said, had particularly impressed the Creative Panel with his progress, “so I’m going to take the easy way out and exactly follow the viewers’ vote - which means Daniel is safe.” This marks the second Producer’s Save for both Daniel and Tsephi.
“But,” Toerien continued, turning his attention to Darren, “thinking this might happen, we’ve considered the possibility of another role for you. We want to offer you the role of Ryan, and we hope you’ll accept.”
This Saturday the remaining Top 6 battle it out as the competition zones in on the Finale - coming up on 27 September 2008.
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