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High School Musical (film series)
Encyclopedia
The High School Musical film series consists of three Disney musical film
s directed by Kenny Ortega
and created by Peter Barsocchini
. It stars Zac Efron
, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
, Lucas Grabeel
, Corbin Bleu
, and Monique Coleman
. The original film
was released simply as a Disney Channel Original Movie, but after its huge success it was followed by a television sequel. The third film
received a theatrical release. Ashley Tisdale & Lucas Grabeel reprised their roles as Sharpay & Ryan Evans in a spin-off on the series titled Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, it was a direct to video film.
The movie follows star athlete Troy Bolton (Zac Efron
) and shy, smart Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) when the school musical changes their lives. Troy and Gabriella meet while vacationing at a ski lodge over Christmas Break and inadvertently participate in a karaoke contest together ("Start of Something New"). When school starts in January, drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale
) makes a dramatic entrance at East High, Troy's school. At this point, Gabriella is revealed to be a new transfer student to the school; she and Troy reconnect. Later that day, the pair are seen talking at the sign-up sheet for the Winter Musical by the Drama Club's co-president, Sharpay. Her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel
), the other co-president, notices Troy constantly coming back to the sheet. Doing her research, Sharpay finds out that Gabriella was a top student at her old schools and convinces Scholastic Decathlon captain Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman
) to invite Gabriella to the team as a distraction from auditioning. Troy's best friend, Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu
), is concerned that Troy's mind seems to have wandered away from basketball despite being varsity team captain and struggles to keep his attention.
As the day of auditions quickly approaches, and Troy and Gabriella are too shy to come forward after watching Sharpay and Ryan perform their own flashy arrangement of a love song ("What I've Been Looking For"). Kelsi Nielsen (Olesya Rulin
), the composer and writer of the musical, objects, but is ridiculed by Sharpay. Following the audition, Troy and Gabriella pluck up the courage to come forward but Mrs. Darbus (Alyson Reed
) declares it too late to audition, and they are left crestfallen. As they are about to leave, Kelsi trips and drops her music. After helping her pick it up, they listen to her play the intended version of the song. Mrs. Darbus overhears Troy and Gabriella singing and invites them to a callback.
When the school finds out that Troy and Gabriella have auditioned for the Winter Musical, everyone fears the status quo of the school is drastically changing and Sharpay gets frustrated and worried ("Stick to the Status Quo"). Sharpay and Ryan find out that Chad and Taylor are going to split Troy and Gabriella up. Chad and Taylor are afraid that their respective teams will fall to pieces, so the pair stage individual interventions and get Troy and Gabriella to change their minds about their respective auditions. This particularly affects Gabriella, who now believes that Troy didn't really care about their friendship ("When There Was Me And You"). Upon realizing the damage they have caused, Chad and Taylor's respective groups feel guilty and fix the situation. When word comes that Troy and Gabriella are still interested in auditioning, Sharpay and Ryan convince Mrs. Darbus to change the date of the callbacks to the date of the game and the Decathlon. The pair go on as planned with their audition ("Bop to the Top"). Fearful that their friends will be unable to attend the callbacks, Chad and Taylor stage a school-wide computer glitch that forces the whole school to pack the auditorium. Without appearance, Mrs. Darbus considers cancelling Troy and Gabriella's callback; however they arrive in the nick of time and sing ("Breaking Free
"). In the end, Ms. Darbus decides to award the lead roles to Troy and Gabriella, making Sharpay and Ryan understudies. Sharpay hopes that she will not lose by not getting lead in the musical, but does not retain any hard feelings.
The film ends with the entire school gathering in the gym to celebrate East High's basketball win ("We're All in This Together").
"). Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is happy to finally be spending her summer vacation without having to move. When the whole gang gets hired at Lava Springs Country Club as summer help, resident drama queen Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), whose parents own the club, is concerned that the Wildcats are once again marching in on her territory ("Fabulous
"). While taking time out of her day to convince club manager Mr. Fulton (Mark L. Taylor) to intimidate the Wildcats into quitting ("Work This Out"), Sharpay schemes to win over Troy (Zac Efron) by offering him various luxuries, including a chance for a college scholarship. Although Troy says he's committed to his relationship with Gabriella, Gabriella grows concerned after hearing he's spending more time with Sharpay.
Meanwhile, the club is preparing for the end-of-summer talent show, and the piano-playing Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) has written a special ballad especially for Troy and Gabriella ("You Are the Music in Me
"), one that Sharpay would like rearranged for just her and Troy. When Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) discovers that Sharpay is no longer interested in his talent due to her pursuit of Troy, he finds himself spending more time with the Wildcats, even playing against Chad (Corbin Bleu) in a staff baseball game ("I Don't Dance
"), one that Troy skips to attend a college hoops practice which Sharpay has indirectly set up. Ryan even goes so far as to secretly prepare a special dance number for the Wildcats to perform at the talent show. When Sharpay stumbles upon the Wildcats' rehearsal, she orders Mr. Fulton, to disallow all Junior Staff to partake in the talent show, namely the Wildcats. Fulton draws up a quick memo and pushes Activities Director, Taylor (Monique Coleman), to notify the staff.
Troy's good mood suddenly turns sour when everyone starts ignoring him. After a devastating rehearsal with Sharpay for the talent show,("You Are the Music in Me (Reprise)"), Troy loses Gabriella ("Gotta Go My Own Way"), who informs him of her frustration with Sharpay's scheme and quits her job at Lava Springs. He discovers the reason for his friends' coldness when Kelsi quietly passes him Mr. Fulton's memo ("Bet On It"). An angry Troy then confronts Sharpay and tells her he has to break his promise and not sing with her. When Chad and the Wildcats find out he's no longer singing in the show, they push him to go back to Sharpay, and only moments before the show does Ryan tell Troy she picked a different song. When Troy announces his disappointment to Sharpay of the change, Sharpay is left surprised and confused- she never chose another song. As the final act, Troy is on stage singing solo, not knowing what to expect. Gabriella- in a surprise move- comes back and joins him. The rest of the Wildcats soon come on stage as well to complete the musical number ("Everyday"). Sharpay learns her lesson in humility and is invited to join in; instead of awarding the Star Dazzle Trophy (given to the best act) to herself as usual, she chooses to give it to Ryan.
The summer comes to a conclusion with a staff pool party ("All for One").
"). At Troy's after-party, Troy and his girlfriend, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), are seen sitting in Troy's treehouse reflecting about the past year and picturing how their last few months at East High would end ("Right Here, Right Now").
The following week at East High, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) made another dramatic entrance and a drama teacher, Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed), is alarmed when few students sign up to audition for the Spring Musical, and Sharpay suggests that she perform a one-woman show. Quickly, the discouraged playwright, Kelsi (Olesya Rulin), scribbles on the sign up sheet everyone in her homeroom class, including Sharpay, Ryan, Troy, Gabriella, and the less than enthusiastic Chad (Corbin Bleu), Taylor (Monique Coleman), and other fellow Wildcats. Conclusively, Ms. Darbus announces that the Spring Musical will reflect the students' final days at East High. Ms. Darbus also announces that she will select one student for a Juilliard scholarship with Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, and Troy under consideration. Desperate to win the scholarship and knowing Kelsi will give the lead roles to Troy and Gabriella, Sharpay tries to persuade Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) to help her convince Kelsi to consider them instead by predicting their future in theater ("I Want It All
").
Prom is around the corner, and Chad asks Taylor to be his date. She declines because she feels him to be unenthused about the event. Subsequently, Chad jumps onto a table and announces to the entire cafeteria that he is interested in having Taylor be his date, and she accepts ("A Night to Remember
"). Meanwhile, Gabriella finds out that she has a chance to attend college early. Sharpay told Troy that Gabriella is going to Stanford early. Troy encourages Gabriella to go, convinced that he is the only reason holding her back. However, on Prom night, Troy drives out to pick up Gabriella as East High is not the same without her. Days later, the play finally goes on as planned ("Spring Musical"), and Sharpay is prepared for the last musical at East High. At the close of the evening, Ms. Darbus announces that both Kelsi and Ryan each received the scholarship to Juilliard. It is also revealed the outcome of the other student's college choices("We're All in This Together (Graduation Mix)").
The film concludes with a big celebratory graduation ("High School Musical"), and then, like a stage musical, has closeups of the lead actors.
to High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The film also takes place shortly after the graduation
of the original cast. It starts with Sharpay Evans, the spin-off's protagonist, learning about the audition
to a musical
on Broadway
. So, Sharpay travels to New York City
with her dog Boi and meets Peyton (Austin Butler
). Everything goes awry on such a "fabulous adventure" for Sharpay.
One example includes Boi and another boy's (Bradley Steven Perry
) dog running away. Searching for the pets, him and Sharpay find that the dogs are madly in love.
By the end, Sharpay gets the part in a real Broadway musical and shares a kiss with Peyton. Then her twin brother Ryan Evans visits, to say that he is not in Juilliard with Kelsi as hinted in ""High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Call it children stuff. But HSM became a billion-dollar hit across screens big and small thanks to a love of song, dance, and happy endings. And that's pure, old-fashioned showbiz." East High School was chosen as the Number 1 Top Five Best High Schools from Movies and TV by St. Petersburg Times
.
Over the summer, the team captain discovers that the girl next door has changed a lot over the summer. Meanwhile, the mean girl is still as vain as ever and overshadows her poor brother and his "invisible" friends. When the school year begins, the school announces a "Battle of the Bands" contest. Working against the clock and with limited resources, both cliques pull their respective forces together for the big day. However, in an effort to win, dreams are thwarted, and only one band will be the winner.
. The film looks at Sharpay Evans' life after her graduation trying to get a role in a Broadway show. The film was released as a Blu-ray and DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011.
. The tour continued until January 28, 2007 performing in major cities around the United States
, Canada
and Latin America
. The concert featured all of the original cast members except for Zac Efron, who was shooting Hairspray
. Efron was replaced by Drew Seeley (whose voice was blended with Efron's during the film). The concert featured the original songs from the film, as well as songs from Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Corbin Bleu.
High School Musical was adapted to a stage musical starting in early 2006 with two versions: a 70-minute One Act play and a full-length Two Act musical. On August 1, 2006, Playbill
announced that the Stagedoor Manor
summer theater camp, featured in the film Camp
, would be the first venue to produce High School Musical on-stage. Pacific Repertory Theatre School of Dramatic Arts
staged the California premiere in 2007, which was revived in 2008.
From early 2007 though the end of July, North Shore Music Theatre
in Beverly, MA had a production of High School Musical that featured Broadway
actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger
as Ryan and Kate Rockwell, a semi-finalist on Grease: You're the One that I Want!, as Sharpay.
High School Musical 2 was later adpated to a stage musical starting in late 2008. Both theatrical versions includes "Hummuhummunukunukuapua'a", a song cut from the film but included on the DVD. Again, Pacific Repertory Theatre School of Dramatic Arts presented the West Coast premiere of High School Musical 2 in January 2009. The production was directed by PacRep founder Stephen Moorer
, who previously directed the California premiere of the first High School Musical.
broadcast a reality competition
based on the series, High School Musical: Get in the Picture
hosted by Nick Lachey
. The winner of the show appeared in a music video during the credits of High School Musical 3. The series premiered to poor ratings, with the show coming in fourth place in its timeslot.
Jordan Brauninger
and 2004-2005 Australian national champion
Bradley Santer
. The show contained elements and songs from both the original film and its sequel, High School Musical 2 and now features a special preview of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
published High School Musical: the Junior Novel, the novelization of the successful film. This novel hit number one on the New York Times best-selling list and remained on the list for sixteen weeks. As of August 2007, the novel has sold more than 4.5 million copies, with 1 million copies of the novel's follow-up, High School Musical 2: The Junior Novel, being shipped to American retailers. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year: The Junior Novel" came out on September 23, 2008. Shortly after the success of the original novel, Disney announced that a book series, entitled Stories From East High, would be published in February 2007 with a new book being published every 60 days until July 2008.
s incorporating songs and plots from the films.
artists, in a homonymous official magazine of the franchise. Some of the comics stories have been published abroad, such as in Finland
and Greece
.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
s directed by Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
and created by Peter Barsocchini
Peter Barsocchini
Peter Barsocchini is an American screenwriter, author, and television producer best known for his scripts for the High School Musical series.- Early career :...
. It stars Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
, Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as...
, Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
, and Monique Coleman
Monique Coleman
Adrienne Monique Coleman is an American actress, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist best known for her co-starring role in Disney's High School Musical movies, in which she plays Taylor McKessie. Coleman also had a recurring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, as a school girl named...
. The original film
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
was released simply as a Disney Channel Original Movie, but after its huge success it was followed by a television sequel. The third film
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a 2008 American romantic musical film and the third and final installment in the High School Musical trilogy. Its theatrical release in the United States began on October 24, 2008...
received a theatrical release. Ashley Tisdale & Lucas Grabeel reprised their roles as Sharpay & Ryan Evans in a spin-off on the series titled Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, it was a direct to video film.
High School Musical (2006)
High School Musical was released on January 20, 2006 as a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), and is the most successful DCOM ever produced. The movie was Disney Channel's most watched movie in 2006, with 7.7 million viewers for its premiere broadcast in the US and 789,000 viewers for its UK premiere. It was the first DCOM ever to be broadcasted by BBC on December 29, 2006, and has been viewed by over 225 million people worldwide. The first film's leads were Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Lucas Grabeel, who sang most of the songs.The movie follows star athlete Troy Bolton (Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
) and shy, smart Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) when the school musical changes their lives. Troy and Gabriella meet while vacationing at a ski lodge over Christmas Break and inadvertently participate in a karaoke contest together ("Start of Something New"). When school starts in January, drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
) makes a dramatic entrance at East High, Troy's school. At this point, Gabriella is revealed to be a new transfer student to the school; she and Troy reconnect. Later that day, the pair are seen talking at the sign-up sheet for the Winter Musical by the Drama Club's co-president, Sharpay. Her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as...
), the other co-president, notices Troy constantly coming back to the sheet. Doing her research, Sharpay finds out that Gabriella was a top student at her old schools and convinces Scholastic Decathlon captain Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman
Monique Coleman
Adrienne Monique Coleman is an American actress, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist best known for her co-starring role in Disney's High School Musical movies, in which she plays Taylor McKessie. Coleman also had a recurring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, as a school girl named...
) to invite Gabriella to the team as a distraction from auditioning. Troy's best friend, Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
), is concerned that Troy's mind seems to have wandered away from basketball despite being varsity team captain and struggles to keep his attention.
As the day of auditions quickly approaches, and Troy and Gabriella are too shy to come forward after watching Sharpay and Ryan perform their own flashy arrangement of a love song ("What I've Been Looking For"). Kelsi Nielsen (Olesya Rulin
Olesya Rulin
Olesya Rulin is a Russian-American actress and singer who is perhaps best known for co-starring in the first three films of the High School Musical franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also starred in the films Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous and Flying By .-Early life:Rulin was born Olesya...
), the composer and writer of the musical, objects, but is ridiculed by Sharpay. Following the audition, Troy and Gabriella pluck up the courage to come forward but Mrs. Darbus (Alyson Reed
Alyson Reed
Alyson Reed is an American dancer and actress.Reed grew up in Anaheim, California and attended Anaheim High School, where she graduated in 1976. She was a varsity songleader for two years, and was ASB President as a senior. She began performing in high school, and one of her major roles was as...
) declares it too late to audition, and they are left crestfallen. As they are about to leave, Kelsi trips and drops her music. After helping her pick it up, they listen to her play the intended version of the song. Mrs. Darbus overhears Troy and Gabriella singing and invites them to a callback.
When the school finds out that Troy and Gabriella have auditioned for the Winter Musical, everyone fears the status quo of the school is drastically changing and Sharpay gets frustrated and worried ("Stick to the Status Quo"). Sharpay and Ryan find out that Chad and Taylor are going to split Troy and Gabriella up. Chad and Taylor are afraid that their respective teams will fall to pieces, so the pair stage individual interventions and get Troy and Gabriella to change their minds about their respective auditions. This particularly affects Gabriella, who now believes that Troy didn't really care about their friendship ("When There Was Me And You"). Upon realizing the damage they have caused, Chad and Taylor's respective groups feel guilty and fix the situation. When word comes that Troy and Gabriella are still interested in auditioning, Sharpay and Ryan convince Mrs. Darbus to change the date of the callbacks to the date of the game and the Decathlon. The pair go on as planned with their audition ("Bop to the Top"). Fearful that their friends will be unable to attend the callbacks, Chad and Taylor stage a school-wide computer glitch that forces the whole school to pack the auditorium. Without appearance, Mrs. Darbus considers cancelling Troy and Gabriella's callback; however they arrive in the nick of time and sing ("Breaking Free
Breaking Free
"Breaking Free" is a song from the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. It also appears on the soundtrack of the same name. It is sung by Drew Seeley , Zac Efron, and Vanessa Hudgens. It was also released as a single on September 28, 2006...
"). In the end, Ms. Darbus decides to award the lead roles to Troy and Gabriella, making Sharpay and Ryan understudies. Sharpay hopes that she will not lose by not getting lead in the musical, but does not retain any hard feelings.
The film ends with the entire school gathering in the gym to celebrate East High's basketball win ("We're All in This Together").
High School Musical 2 (2007)
It's the end of the school year, and everyone's excited for summer vacation ("What Time is It?What Time Is It? (song)
"What Time Is It?" is the opening musical number and first single from the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical 2. It is featured on the High School Musical 2 soundtrack, and is the first song off the High School Musical 2 soundtrack....
"). Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) is happy to finally be spending her summer vacation without having to move. When the whole gang gets hired at Lava Springs Country Club as summer help, resident drama queen Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), whose parents own the club, is concerned that the Wildcats are once again marching in on her territory ("Fabulous
Fabulous (High School Musical 2 song)
"Fabulous" is a single from the 2007 Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical 2. The song was sung by Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans and Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans.-Song information:...
"). While taking time out of her day to convince club manager Mr. Fulton (Mark L. Taylor) to intimidate the Wildcats into quitting ("Work This Out"), Sharpay schemes to win over Troy (Zac Efron) by offering him various luxuries, including a chance for a college scholarship. Although Troy says he's committed to his relationship with Gabriella, Gabriella grows concerned after hearing he's spending more time with Sharpay.
Meanwhile, the club is preparing for the end-of-summer talent show, and the piano-playing Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) has written a special ballad especially for Troy and Gabriella ("You Are the Music in Me
You Are the Music in Me
"You Are the Music in Me" is the second single released in the UK from the Original Disney Channel Movie, High School Musical 2.-Music video:...
"), one that Sharpay would like rearranged for just her and Troy. When Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) discovers that Sharpay is no longer interested in his talent due to her pursuit of Troy, he finds himself spending more time with the Wildcats, even playing against Chad (Corbin Bleu) in a staff baseball game ("I Don't Dance
I Don't Dance
"I Don't Dance" is a song performed by actor/singers Lucas Grabeel and Corbin Bleu in the television movie High School Musical 2, released in 2007. It is one of seven songs from the soundtrack High School Musical 2 to reach the Billboard Hot 100...
"), one that Troy skips to attend a college hoops practice which Sharpay has indirectly set up. Ryan even goes so far as to secretly prepare a special dance number for the Wildcats to perform at the talent show. When Sharpay stumbles upon the Wildcats' rehearsal, she orders Mr. Fulton, to disallow all Junior Staff to partake in the talent show, namely the Wildcats. Fulton draws up a quick memo and pushes Activities Director, Taylor (Monique Coleman), to notify the staff.
Troy's good mood suddenly turns sour when everyone starts ignoring him. After a devastating rehearsal with Sharpay for the talent show,("You Are the Music in Me (Reprise)"), Troy loses Gabriella ("Gotta Go My Own Way"), who informs him of her frustration with Sharpay's scheme and quits her job at Lava Springs. He discovers the reason for his friends' coldness when Kelsi quietly passes him Mr. Fulton's memo ("Bet On It"). An angry Troy then confronts Sharpay and tells her he has to break his promise and not sing with her. When Chad and the Wildcats find out he's no longer singing in the show, they push him to go back to Sharpay, and only moments before the show does Ryan tell Troy she picked a different song. When Troy announces his disappointment to Sharpay of the change, Sharpay is left surprised and confused- she never chose another song. As the final act, Troy is on stage singing solo, not knowing what to expect. Gabriella- in a surprise move- comes back and joins him. The rest of the Wildcats soon come on stage as well to complete the musical number ("Everyday"). Sharpay learns her lesson in humility and is invited to join in; instead of awarding the Star Dazzle Trophy (given to the best act) to herself as usual, she chooses to give it to Ryan.
The summer comes to a conclusion with a staff pool party ("All for One").
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
It's the end of the Wildcats' championship basketball game against the West High Knights, where team captain Troy (Zac Efron) immediately rallies their spirits ("Now or NeverNow or Never (High School Musical song)
"Now or Never" is the opening musical number and first single from the Walt Disney Pictures film, High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The song is also the first track of the movie's soundtrack...
"). At Troy's after-party, Troy and his girlfriend, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), are seen sitting in Troy's treehouse reflecting about the past year and picturing how their last few months at East High would end ("Right Here, Right Now").
The following week at East High, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) made another dramatic entrance and a drama teacher, Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed), is alarmed when few students sign up to audition for the Spring Musical, and Sharpay suggests that she perform a one-woman show. Quickly, the discouraged playwright, Kelsi (Olesya Rulin), scribbles on the sign up sheet everyone in her homeroom class, including Sharpay, Ryan, Troy, Gabriella, and the less than enthusiastic Chad (Corbin Bleu), Taylor (Monique Coleman), and other fellow Wildcats. Conclusively, Ms. Darbus announces that the Spring Musical will reflect the students' final days at East High. Ms. Darbus also announces that she will select one student for a Juilliard scholarship with Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, and Troy under consideration. Desperate to win the scholarship and knowing Kelsi will give the lead roles to Troy and Gabriella, Sharpay tries to persuade Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) to help her convince Kelsi to consider them instead by predicting their future in theater ("I Want It All
I Want It All (High School Musical song)
-Chart performance:I Want It All stayed for four weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and never entered on Billboard Hot 100. The also debuted on #3 on Hot 100 Singles Sales chart but fell out on the next week. Outside from the U.S, the song debuted on #75 on Canadian Hot Digital Songs...
").
Prom is around the corner, and Chad asks Taylor to be his date. She declines because she feels him to be unenthused about the event. Subsequently, Chad jumps onto a table and announces to the entire cafeteria that he is interested in having Taylor be his date, and she accepts ("A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember
A Night to Remember is a 1955 non-fiction book by Walter Lord about the sinking of the ocean liner R.M.S. Titanic in 1912. The book was very successful, and is still considered a definitive resource about the R.M.S. Titanic. Lord authored a follow-up book, The Night Lives On, in 1986.A film...
"). Meanwhile, Gabriella finds out that she has a chance to attend college early. Sharpay told Troy that Gabriella is going to Stanford early. Troy encourages Gabriella to go, convinced that he is the only reason holding her back. However, on Prom night, Troy drives out to pick up Gabriella as East High is not the same without her. Days later, the play finally goes on as planned ("Spring Musical"), and Sharpay is prepared for the last musical at East High. At the close of the evening, Ms. Darbus announces that both Kelsi and Ryan each received the scholarship to Juilliard. It is also revealed the outcome of the other student's college choices("We're All in This Together (Graduation Mix)").
The film concludes with a big celebratory graduation ("High School Musical"), and then, like a stage musical, has closeups of the lead actors.
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011)
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure can be considered a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The film also takes place shortly after the graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
of the original cast. It starts with Sharpay Evans, the spin-off's protagonist, learning about the audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
to a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. So, Sharpay travels to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with her dog Boi and meets Peyton (Austin Butler
Austin Butler
Austin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,...
). Everything goes awry on such a "fabulous adventure" for Sharpay.
One example includes Boi and another boy's (Bradley Steven Perry
Bradley Steven Perry
Bradley Steven Perry is an American actor, best known for his role as Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel family sitcom Good Luck Charlie, and for his role as Roger Elliston III in Disney's High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.-Career:In 2007, Perry began his professional...
) dog running away. Searching for the pets, him and Sharpay find that the dogs are madly in love.
By the end, Sharpay gets the part in a real Broadway musical and shares a kiss with Peyton. Then her twin brother Ryan Evans visits, to say that he is not in Juilliard with Kelsi as hinted in ""High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
Cast members
| Character | Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Musical (2006) | High School Musical 2 (2007) | High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) | Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (spin-off) (2011) | |
| Troy Bolton | Zac Efron Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray... |
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| Gabriella Montez | Vanessa Hudgens | |||
| Sharpay Evans | Ashley Tisdale Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series... |
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| Ryan Evans | Lucas Grabeel Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as... |
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| Chad Danforth | Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!... |
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| Taylor McKessie | Monique Coleman Monique Coleman Adrienne Monique Coleman is an American actress, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist best known for her co-starring role in Disney's High School Musical movies, in which she plays Taylor McKessie. Coleman also had a recurring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, as a school girl named... |
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| Kelsi Nielsen | Olesya Rulin Olesya Rulin Olesya Rulin is a Russian-American actress and singer who is perhaps best known for co-starring in the first three films of the High School Musical franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also starred in the films Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous and Flying By .-Early life:Rulin was born Olesya... |
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| Zeke Baylor | Chris Warren Jr. Chris Warren Jr. Chris Warren Jr. is an American actor.-Early life:Warren was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His half brother shares the same name but goes by Christopher.-Career:... |
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| Jason Cross | Ryne Sanborn Ryne Sanborn Ryne Andrew Sanborn is an American actor best known for his role as Jason Cross in the Disney High School Musical films.-Biography:... |
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| Martha Cox | Kaycee Stroh Kaycee Stroh Kaycee Stroh is an American actress, singer and dancer, best known for her roles in the hit Disney Channel Original Movies, High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. This was a worldwide success... |
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| Ms. Darbus | Alyson Reed Alyson Reed Alyson Reed is an American dancer and actress.Reed grew up in Anaheim, California and attended Anaheim High School, where she graduated in 1976. She was a varsity songleader for two years, and was ASB President as a senior. She began performing in high school, and one of her major roles was as... |
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| Jack Bolton | Bart Johnson Bart Johnson Barton Robert "Bart" Johnson , is an American actor, best known for his role as Coach Jack Bolton in the High School Musical film series.-Personal life:... |
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| Boi (Sharpay's Dog) | Manly Ortega. | |||
| Mrs. Montez | Socorro Herrera Socorro Herrera Socorro Herrera is an American actress, best known for playing Mrs. Montez in the High School Musical trilogy.Herrera did not appear in High School Musical 2, but between High School Musical and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, she had a role in Lightspeed.... |
Socorro Herrera Socorro Herrera Socorro Herrera is an American actress, best known for playing Mrs. Montez in the High School Musical trilogy.Herrera did not appear in High School Musical 2, but between High School Musical and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, she had a role in Lightspeed.... |
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| Vance Evans | Robert Curtis Brown | |||
| Mrs. Evans | Jessica Tuck Jessica Tuck Jessica Ines Tuck is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Megan Gordon Harrison on One Life to Live, Gillian Gray on Judging Amy, and Nan Flanagan on True Blood. She also appeared as Madeline Peterson Woods on Days of our Lives.-Personal life:Tuck was born in New York City and is a... |
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| Mrs. Bolton | Leslie Wing Pomeroy Leslie Wing Leslie Wing Pomeroy, also known as Leslie Wing, is an American actress who is most famous for the short role of Lucille Bolton, mother to Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy.... |
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| Mr. Fulton | Mark L. Taylor Mark L. Taylor Mark L. Taylor is an American actor. He was born in Syracuse, New York.Taylor has appeared in various shows such as Seinfeld, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal... |
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| Tiara Gold | Jemma McKenzie-Brown Jemma McKenzie-Brown Jemma McKenzie-Brown is an English actress known for her role as Tiara Gold in High School Musical 3: Senior Year.-Biography:... |
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| Donny Dion | Justin Martin | |||
| Jimmie Zara | Matt Prokop Matt Prokop Matt Prokop is an American actor, known for his role as Jimmie "The Rocket" Zara in High School Musical 3: Senior Year and starred the Disney Channel Original Movie, "Geek Charming", as Josh Rosen.-Life and career:... |
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| Mr. Danforth | David Reivers David Reivers David Reivers is a Jamaican actor and the father of fellow actor Corbin Bleu. He is best known for co-starring as his real-life son's father in the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In! and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and in Free Style '... |
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| Mrs. Danforth | Yolanda Wood Yolanda Wood Yolanda Wood is an American actress, known for playing Mrs. Danforth in the 2008 film High School Musical 3: Senior Year.- Filmography :*High School Musical 3: Senior Year as Mrs Danforth*The Writers' Block as Banana Lady... |
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| Principal Matsui | Joey Miyashima Joey Miyashima Joey Miyashima is a Japanese American television and film actor. Miyashima played Pee-wee Herman's Japanese pen pal, Oki Doki, in "Accidental Playhouse", an episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse... |
Joey Miyashima Joey Miyashima Joey Miyashima is a Japanese American television and film actor. Miyashima played Pee-wee Herman's Japanese pen pal, Oki Doki, in "Accidental Playhouse", an episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse... |
||
| Peyton Leverette | Austin Butler Austin Butler Austin Robert Butler is an American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his feature films roles as Jake Pearson in Aliens in the Attic and as Peyton Leverette in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, as well as for his television roles as James on Zoey 101,... |
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| Roger Elliston | Bradley Steven Perry Bradley Steven Perry Bradley Steven Perry is an American actor, best known for his role as Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel family sitcom Good Luck Charlie, and for his role as Roger Elliston III in Disney's High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.-Career:In 2007, Perry began his professional... |
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| Amber Lee Adams | Cameron Goodman Cameron Goodman -Biography:She was born in Texas but grew up in Washington D.C. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after transferring from Syracuse University in New York.-Career:... |
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Reception
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Call it children stuff. But HSM became a billion-dollar hit across screens big and small thanks to a love of song, dance, and happy endings. And that's pure, old-fashioned showbiz." East High School was chosen as the Number 1 Top Five Best High Schools from Movies and TV by St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
.
High School Musical: El Desafío
High School Musical: El Desafío (in Spanish, The Challenge) is a spin-off of the American film High School Musical for the Latin American market, based on the book Battle of the Bands. The films were scripted for a theatrical release, and had eight new songs produced exclusively for the film. The film was first adapted in Argentina in February 2008, for Mexico in August 2008 and then for Brazil in 2010.Over the summer, the team captain discovers that the girl next door has changed a lot over the summer. Meanwhile, the mean girl is still as vain as ever and overshadows her poor brother and his "invisible" friends. When the school year begins, the school announces a "Battle of the Bands" contest. Working against the clock and with limited resources, both cliques pull their respective forces together for the big day. However, in an effort to win, dreams are thwarted, and only one band will be the winner.
Spin-off
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is a direct-to video film and High School Musical spin-off starring Ashley TisdaleAshley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
. The film looks at Sharpay Evans' life after her graduation trying to get a role in a Broadway show. The film was released as a Blu-ray and DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011.
Concert tour
The "High School Musical: The Concert" tour started on November 29, 2006 kicking off in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The tour continued until January 28, 2007 performing in major cities around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The concert featured all of the original cast members except for Zac Efron, who was shooting Hairspray
Hairspray (2007 film)
Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
. Efron was replaced by Drew Seeley (whose voice was blended with Efron's during the film). The concert featured the original songs from the film, as well as songs from Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Corbin Bleu.
High School Musical: On Stage!
Playbill
Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door...
announced that the Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....
summer theater camp, featured in the film Camp
Camp (film)
Camp is a 2003 American independent musical film written and directed by Todd Graff, about an upstate New York performing arts summer camp. The film is based on Graff's own experiences at a similar camp called Stagedoor Manor. The film was released in 2003 by IFC Films.-Plot:The film centers on the...
, would be the first venue to produce High School Musical on-stage. Pacific Repertory Theatre School of Dramatic Arts
Pacific Repertory Theatre
The Pacific Repertory Theatre is a non-profit California corporation, based in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, that produces theatrical productions and events, including the annual Carmel Shake-speare Festival, and is the only year-round professional Equity theatre in the Central California Coast...
staged the California premiere in 2007, which was revived in 2008.
From early 2007 though the end of July, North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States.-History:...
in Beverly, MA had a production of High School Musical that featured Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger
Andrew Keenan-Bolger
Andrew Keenan-Bolger is an American musical theatre actor and singer. He originated the role of Robertson Ay in the first national tour of Mary Poppins and is currently appearing in that role on Broadway...
as Ryan and Kate Rockwell, a semi-finalist on Grease: You're the One that I Want!, as Sharpay.
High School Musical 2 was later adpated to a stage musical starting in late 2008. Both theatrical versions includes "Hummuhummunukunukuapua'a", a song cut from the film but included on the DVD. Again, Pacific Repertory Theatre School of Dramatic Arts presented the West Coast premiere of High School Musical 2 in January 2009. The production was directed by PacRep founder Stephen Moorer
Stephen Moorer
Stephen Moorer is a stage actor, director and producer based on the Central California Coast. He founded the only year-round professional theatre in Monterey County, GroveMont Theatre in 1982, renaming the non-profit organization Pacific Repertory Theatre in 1994, when the group acquired the...
, who previously directed the California premiere of the first High School Musical.
Reality series
During July and August 2008, ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
broadcast a reality competition
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
based on the series, High School Musical: Get in the Picture
hosted by Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
. The winner of the show appeared in a music video during the credits of High School Musical 3. The series premiered to poor ratings, with the show coming in fourth place in its timeslot.
Ice tour
"Feld Entertainment" produced global tour titled, High School Musical: The Ice Tour which had its world premiere in New York city on September 29, 2007. The cast included 2004 World Junior Bronze MedalistWorld Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
Jordan Brauninger
Jordan Brauninger
Jordan Brauninger is a retired competitive American figure skater who now skates professionally. He is the 2004 World Junior bronze medalist.-Biography:...
and 2004-2005 Australian national champion
Australian Figure Skating Championships
The Australian Figure Skating Championships are the figure skating national championships held annually to crown the national champions of Australia. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
Bradley Santer
Bradley Santer
Bradley Santer is an Australian figure skater who competes in men's singles. He won the gold medal at the Australian Figure Skating Championships in 2003 and again in 2004, and additionally has won 4 silver medals and 1 bronze...
. The show contained elements and songs from both the original film and its sequel, High School Musical 2 and now features a special preview of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
Book series
In June 2006, Disney PressDisney Press
Disney Press is a department of The Walt Disney Company specifically used to produce books of various genres and for various age groups . Many of the books Disney Press produces are picture books based on Mickey Mouse and friends and other characters from many popular Disney animated features...
published High School Musical: the Junior Novel, the novelization of the successful film. This novel hit number one on the New York Times best-selling list and remained on the list for sixteen weeks. As of August 2007, the novel has sold more than 4.5 million copies, with 1 million copies of the novel's follow-up, High School Musical 2: The Junior Novel, being shipped to American retailers. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year: The Junior Novel" came out on September 23, 2008. Shortly after the success of the original novel, Disney announced that a book series, entitled Stories From East High, would be published in February 2007 with a new book being published every 60 days until July 2008.
Video games
Disney Interactive Studios has produced 6 video games based on the High School Musical series, all taking the guise of music video gameMusic video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
s incorporating songs and plots from the films.
Comics
Between 2007 and 2010, Disney Italia produced and published a comic series starring the characters of the movies, made by ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artists, in a homonymous official magazine of the franchise. Some of the comics stories have been published abroad, such as in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.