Disney, 2012
Starring Tyler James Williams, Coco Jones, Trevor Jackson, and Courtney B. Vance
Directed by Paul Hoen
Music and Lyrics by various
The Walt Disney Company has adapted it's own fairy-tale properties and the old beach party movies of the 1960's as Disney Channel musicals, but this one has a more surprising pedigree. Musical retellings of the famous French play Cyano De Bergerac were attempted before on the stage, including Cyrano with the late Christopher Plummer in 1973 and the Dutch pop opera Cyrano: The Musical in 1993. Neither show was a success, though Plummer did win a Tony. How does this retelling that turns the French lovers into hip-hop teens fare? Let's start at a church in Atlanta, Georgia, that's about to get down with a unique choir number, and find out...
The Story: Cyrus DeBarge (Williams) is a talented hip-hop writer and singer. He's also shy and is considered to be something of a nerd by his peers. His father, Pastor Jacob DeBarge (Vance), is absolutely against hip-hop and rap, which he calls "the devil's music." He decries it in his sermons and is livid when his son incorporates hip-hop rhythms into one of his choir numbers. Despite his father's distaste for the music, Cyrus works in a rap club called 'Off the Street, soaking up the musical talent there. He tries to ignore the flashy rapper Lord of da Bling (Brandon Mychal Smith), who makes fun of his shyness and lowly job as a server.
He and his taller best friend Kris (Jackson) are thrilled when teen pop star Roxanne "Roxie" Andrews hits town. She's an old childhood friend of theirs, and they both have crushes on her. Cyrus sends one of his songs in for a contest Roxie's sponsoring under the name "Truth." The included photo is one of Kris and Cyrus, leading Roxie and her manager Lyla (Nicole Sullivan) to believe Kris is Truth. Cyrus convinces Kris to play the role while he lip-synchs his lyrics. This works too well at first, as Kris gets closer to Roxie. Roxie, however, is more interested in the down-to-Earth Cyrus. Now, with a no-lip-sync rap Grand Slam coming up, he has to figure out how to tell Roxie and his father the actual truth...and how he can let the real him shine through the façade.
The Song and Dance: I'm not really a fan of rap or hip-hop myself, but I was impressed with this one. The Atlanta setting gives it a slightly more realistic vibe than the somewhat similar Camp Rock, which also dealt with a teen who thought she had to hide her personality. They actually did pretty well with the Cyrano DeBergerac adaptation. All three teens raise the roof with their numbers and do very well as the shy guy who doesn't think he's good enough to let his music be heard, the cute guy who can dance but is no musical talent, and the girl between them who wants to shed her glittery stage persona and find someone who feels real.
Favorite Number: We open and close with that hip-hop version of "Let It Shine" that so offended Pastor Jacob. I think the kids had a great time, dancing up a storm and really having fun with it. "Don't Run Away" is the touching song Cyrus writes about Roxie that he submits to the contest. He sings "Guardian Angel" for Roxie later in the recording studio as he admits that yes, they're about her. Roxie throws her heart and soul into "Good to Be Home" at the church...before the pastor gives a sermon condemning her music and all of rap.
The Grand Slam is a montage of intense numbers, starting with "Moment of Truth," as Cyrus finally admits his deception to a shocked and angry Roxie. Roxie's about ready to write him off...until she sees him take on Lord of da Bling in "Tonight's the Night." Lord taunts Cyrus about his shyness and low-level job, only for Cyrus to point out that he saw something the week before that made him realize that, his dandified affectations aside, he's not all that different from him.
Trivia: Mostly filmed in and around Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia, including the Fox Theater (which is frequently used for concerts in real-life).
A sequel was apparently planned, but ultimately scrapped.
What I Don't Like: The story is well-meaning, but the "be yourself" moral is laid with a trowel thick as southern pecan pie. Vance's subplot feels like it should be back in Footloose and is frankly a little dated for 2012, too. There's also the fact that circling his face in the picture or sending a solo photo would have saved a lot of trouble for everyone.
The Big Finale: I think I just found my new favorite Disney Channel musical. If you're a fan of rap or the cast, or have a kid who loves rap, this is very much worth taking a limo ride over to check out.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, including Disney Plus with a subscription.
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