Cell phones. Laptops. School sports. Today's kids are busy with all these things. Theater lovers worry they might be too busy for the dramatic arts.

"High School Musical," now on stage at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, proves those fears baseless. At a recent matinee of Dutch Apple's newest show, busloads of students jostled busloads of senior citizens for space. Red Hat Lady gear in the gift shop shared shelf space with Troy Bolton locker decals and cheerleader backpacks.

The 2006 Disney Channel movie sensation "High School Musical" makes a surprisingly graceful leap to live theater in a story replete with cell phones, laptops and school sports. The "Romeo and Juliet"-themed tale has also been translated into an ice tour, a book series, several video games, a slew of merchandise and a reality show. Fortunately, the hard-core commercialization of "HSM" doesn't detract from the pleasure of this story about a star-crossed East High basketball ace and a math braniac trying to transcend high school cliques.

The 2007 stage version has a score of 10 great songs, including "We're All in This Together," "Stick to the Status Quo" and "Get Your Head in the Game." My own high school team was the Bobcats, but I rooted for East High's Wildcats, too. These kids suffer detention, peer pressure and lunchroom blues just as high schoolers have for generations.

A cast of 22, including some actual high school students, projects high energy, while director ("the playmaker" per "HSM"-speak) M. Seth Reines keeps the action streaking forward. The show comes in under two hours, including intermission.

Reines doesn't take any chances with a basketball sequence, where the ball is mounted on a long pole, wielded by a referee. There's no danger of it bouncing out-of-bounds, or off the stage. Set designer Chris Peters gives the show's movie roots a nod by putting a picture of "HSM" heartthrob Corbin Bleu inside the door of one of his stage-set lockers.

Troy (Nic Bryan) and his lady love, Gabriella (Virginia Cavaliere) are college grads in real life, but look and sound great as high school students. Other cast standouts include Brad Broman, Erich DiCenzo and Megan Kip.

The stage version of HSM brings back the magic that "HSM II" and "III" ("IV" has been announced) threaten to drain from the original. Dutch Apple's cast is full of good kids without that too-good-to-be-high-school perfection the movies acquired when their cast of unknowns became big names.

Live theater makes it all feel real again.

"High School Musical" runs through May 30 at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, 510 Centerville Road. For tickets and showtimes, call 898-1900 or visit http://dutchapple.com.