HSM III: Unanswered Questions on Kelsi Nielsen
It’s good to rewatch a film so that you can pick up more ideas for your fanfiction-- even if that film is HSM III.
Am I the only one who thinks that the above scene raises some important questions?
1- At what point did Kelsi become responsible for signing people for Musicals?
2- Since Kelsi obviously cannot have signed almost the entire home-room within the seconds of frantic scribbling shown onscreen, how did she do it?
3- Why does Kelsi look awkward and embarrassed after deliberately signing everyone up for the show?
4- Is Kelsi a secret guilt-tripper?
I shall examine each of these questions one by one, using my usual method.
1- At what point did Kelsi become responsible for signing people for Musicals?
In HSM I, the sign-up sheet was in the corridor. In HSM III, it is in Kelsi’s hands. I don’t object to this, but given that Sharpay was President of the Drama Club, and Ms. Darbus the actual teacher, when was it decided that Kelsi should now be in charge?
Obviously this was decided, as Ms. Darbus immediately offered the role of composer to Kelsi without audition, despite the fact that this was necessary beforehand.
I can only assume that Ms. Darbus gained confidence in Kelsi’s compositional skills and thus entrusted her with signing people up despite her comparatively lesser role. This is, of course, a good thing, and supports my assertion here that she and Ms. Darbus are on good terms.
At the time of HSM III, we are in the Spring Musicale, so is it fair to assume that Kelsi composed for the Winter One (unseen) of Senior Year?
2- Since Kelsi obviously cannot have signed almost the entire home-room within the seconds of frantic scribbling shown onscreen, how did she do it?
She had already planned to sign them up. In fact, for all we know, that list was already almost full before she set foot in that classroom. And I bet that Troy’s name was one of the first to go onto that list.
3- Why does Kelsi look awkward and embarrassed after deliberately signing everyone up for the show?
Kelsi Nielsen is a contradictory character, as I have already explored here. Her shyness and awkwardness are still evident in HSM III during this early scene, but they are contrasted with an increased confidence.
This must imply that Kelsi has, if not confidence, some kind of forceful aspect of her character, except this is hidden. It is hidden because she fears embarrassment, rejection, and not being taken seriously.
These fears might have subsided by the time we reach HSM III, but she flinches from people giving her surprised and perhaps even exasperated looks for signing them up without their permission. Her mad dash for the door after the bell rings also further underscores this point, so the viewer must once again ask why she did it in the first place?
By the way: when Kelsi is running from her classmates, she runs straight to the piano. This says a lot.
Evidently, the musical was essential to her in Senior Year. In HSM I, the musical was her big break-- her chance to expose her talent. In HSM II, the Talent Show was a way of earning some additional money and again showing off her talent. But in the Senior Year, her musical was her platform to a scholarship at Juilliard.
We learn later that Kelsi sent a letter of application to them, perhaps along with samples of her work. The musical is Kelsi’s way of making a lasting impression on East High, particularly to those like Sharpay who doubted her from the beginning. But she isn’t as arrogant as Sharpay and knows that she needs everyone else on board (even Sharpay) to work with her so that they can show off her talents.
Again, you must have grit, resilience, and confidence to do these things. It’s a shame the movies didn’t see fit to analyse this aspect, which would have made for a far more interesting movie overall.
4- Is Kelsi a secret guilt-tripper?
It’s worth considering.
Consider the following line:
[Kelsi] “...I just thought since it was the last show, everyone would want to do it.”
Did she? Either Kelsi was genuinely not expecting dismay when she signed almost everyone up, or she is trying to guilt her classmates.
We see a similar scene in HSM II, when Troy is reluctant to do the Talent Show:
[Kelsi] “I was thinking, if you do the Show, that I wanted to be ready.”
Here, she wasn’t expecting Troy to say no, but after he did, the above dialogue is aimed more at him than Gabriella. I say this because she looks at him expectantly after playing the first chords of “You Are The Music in Me” until he relents, and later gives him a pleading gaze (certainly not lost on him) to get him to sign up.
Look, even Ms. Darbus looks discomfited in HSM I when Kelsi pleads with her to give Troy and Gabriella a chance at the Callbacks.
Certainly, these are no way near as egregious as those of Gabriella, Chad, and the Wildcats. Not even close. The motivations behind them are understandable, even commendable: she has worked hard on her shows and wants people to participate. However, this does indicate that Kelsi does, in fact, have a hold over Troy. This is extremely interesting.
Although Gabriella persuaded Troy to do the musical in HSM III, he can’t have been insensible to Kelsi’s obvious, giddy delight when he agreed. We know this, because Kelsi was in his direct line of vision during HSM II when she also pleaded with him to do the show. Later on, when the show is struggling because Troy can’t focus (thanks, Gabriella), she persuades him that everything will be fine-- it isn’t, but Troy believes her instantly.
I won’t draw conclusions, but let’s just say this is VERY handy for fanfiction! I feel like most people ignore the complexity of Trelsi as friends.
I notice that Kelsi tends to sit hunched over her desk (or the piano) and write intensely. From the little I know from graphology, people who press a pen as hard as she does in the picture above, tend to want total control over every word, want to make an impression. I have already surmised that Kelsi likes being in control of her products and is a perfectionist.
