'High School Musical' a hit in Britain

LONDON, July 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. touring stage production "High School Musical" has already reached nearly $40 million in ticket sales since arriving in Britain, a spokesman says.

An unidentified production spokesman said the British success of the production, which is based on a popular U.S. movie of the same name, is akin to the excitement that surrounded the rock group The Beatles, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

"We always knew the show would be popular but the fan reaction has to be seen to be believed," he said. "It is like mini-Beatlemania."

The London performance of the musical has already begun preview showings and the spokesman said those young individuals lucky enough to get tickets are taking a little something extra home with them.

"At the end of the show, cannons fire sparkly confetti over the auditorium," he told the British newspaper. "We thought it would be a big nightly job to get it all cleared up, but within two minutes it has completely disappeared because children are stashing it away in their pockets as a souvenir."