"He is a fabulous singer; it's his singing that blew us away at the audition," said Lisa Stevens, choreographer for the touring show, "and what a nice guy he is — he's the type of person who walks in the room and you just want to get to know him. He's a nice addition to our company."

Stevens, who stepped out of a production meeting for the stage version of "High School Musical 2," talked about the choreography for the show.

With the DVD version including a dance track so fans can dance along with Troy, Gabriella and the students, Stevens had her work cut out.

"I wanted to create something new but not change the style and flavor," said Stevens, who watched the DVD when it first was released, "but only the first few minutes, just to get the flavor."

With the "youthful energy" in mind, Stevens' choreography is just as fun as the movies and "it has a lot of street jazz and some hip-hop, break dancing plus nuances of the classic MGM musicals as well. So there's little taste of the classics, but for the most part, it's fairly modern."

"I'm so excited to come back home to Utah, it's one of my favorite places," Johnsen said. "I have quite a bit of family in Sandy. I get to stay with my Aunt Julie who is all-out. Aunt Julie is all-out!"

Surrounded by a cast of professional actors with Broadway credits on their resumes, Johnsen has a unique way of standing out. "I do several tumbling passes during 'Head in the Game' — the big basketball number. Then at the end I have these eight toe touches. It's a fun feature at the end."

"High School Musical" will finish its tour in Salt Lake City, having played 41 cities in 55 weeks. "And the kids love it," Stevens said. "The energy is so contagious. The kids are getting up and moving to the songs they know so well, and they're just enjoying the show for the magic that it is."

When the curtain comes down, Johnsen will catch a red-eye flight back to New York to audition for another show the next day. "It's a lot to do, but it's exciting and fun. It keeps you young."

If you go

What: Disney's High School Musical

Where: Capitol Theatre

When: Tuesday through Aug. 3

How much: $27.50-$62.50

Phone: 801-355-2787

Web: www.arttix.org

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E-mail: ehansen@desnews.com