From the man, the myth, the legend that directed iconic movies such as High School Musical, Hocus Pocus, and Mamma Mia, Kenny Ortega is back at again with the new Netflix series, Julie and the Phantoms.
The show is an American version of a Brazilian show with the same premise. The show centers around the three young men, Reggie, Charlie, and Alex, who tragically passed away from bad food in the mid-nineties before they were going to perform at a huge venue that would have set off their careers.
Now, after twenty-five years, the boys have been resurrected as ghosts by a young woman, Julie, who recently lost her mom and was having a hard time reconnecting to her love of music because of the massive loss. Their connection to one another is truly magical, and the whole show explores their bond with one another and tries to explain why they have such a strong connection.
The characters are vibrant, fun, and talented. Each of the members brings something to the table, and they have such an amazing stage presence when they are performing.
I was also excited to see the inclusion of an LGBT+ character on the show. Usually, on programming for pre-teens to teens, they do not represent the LGBT+ community, but as Ortega said in a recent interview, “It’s Time!” It is time for all sexualities to be represented on screen and to normalize these relationships across all media. Also, Julie is played by a Puerto Rican actress which also adds to the diversity of the show.
I think it is amazing that the show is focusing on diversity and working on representing more communities when that is not often seen in programming targeted towards young people. The show is filled with funny antics, loving moments, and music galore!
You can tell that Kenny Ortega was involved because of the amazing musical and dance scenes that light up the screen. To be honest, when I first saw the show in the newly released shows section on Netflix, I did not think I was going to like it.
In fact, I decided to watch the show just to see how bad it was going to be. However, to my pleasant surprise, I was sucked in by the first performance in the pilot episode, and now I cannot stop listening to the soundtrack. I have seen similar reactions from people around my age all over social media, and I am really enjoying the way audiences are responding to this show, as well as, the up and coming actors and singers gaining more attention for their amazing performances.
It is amazing how much social media sites such as Twitter and TikTok are giving more advertising to this show, making it one of the top ten shows watched all over the world. Although I found it silly to be watching this teen television show as a college student. It really surpassed my expectations; it is the perfect feel-good show for a time that is so tragic and chaotic in the world. I cannot wait for the magic that will ensue in season two, and how Kenny Ortega will continue to showcase the talent of the writers and performers of Julie and the Phantoms through his exceptional directing and guidance.