High School Musical Franchise

**The High School Musical Franchise** consists of three films and the first two are Disney Channel Original Movies. Each film has its own soundtrack album featuring songs sung by the cast of that film.

## Films

### High School Musical

On New Year's Eve, high school juniors Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez meet at a ski lodge party during winter break. The two are called upon to sing a duet together for karaoke. Returning to school after break, Troy sees Gabriella in his homeroom. She explains that she has just moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and transferred to East High School over the break. As Troy shows Gabriella around the school, Drama Club President and East High's designated "Ice Princess" Sharpay Evans assumes that Gabriella is interested in auditioning for the school musical, Twinkle Town. Wanting to eliminate competition, Sharpay has Scholastic Decathlon Captain and Chem Club president Taylor McKessie investigate Gabriella's past academic achievements to recruit Gabriella for the Scholastic Decathlon. As a result, Taylor and Gabriella became friends over their shared interests.

During basketball practice, Troy is distracted by thoughts of Gabriella and the idea that he might enjoy singing in addition to basketball. Gabriella and Troy go to the musical auditions where Sharpay and her twin brother Ryan Evans perform. However, Troy and Gabriella are too shy to audition. When Gabriella gains the confidence to step forward once the auditions are unofficially declared "over", Troy offers to sing with her. However, drama teacher Ms. Darbus tells them they are too late and leaves. Kelsi Nielsen, the musical's composer, trips and drops her music all over the stage. Troy and Gabriella rush to help her and sing together as Kelsi plays on the piano. Overhearing their performance, Ms. Darbus gives them a call-back audition.

When the call-back list gets posted, Sharpay discovers that she has competition for the lead role, while the Wildcats basketball team is shocked that Troy has auditioned. After finding out that Troy can do activities outside his clique, other students confess their secret passions and talents. This alarms Taylor and Troy's best friend Chad Danforth. Taylor and Chad come up with a plan to divert Troy and Gabriella from singing in the musical so they can focus on their upcoming competitions.

In the locker room, Troy is tricked by his teammates into saying that Gabriella is not needed. Gabriella watches this via a hidden webcam that the scholastic decathlon team has set up. Upset by Troy's betrayal, Gabriella decides to not audition for the musical. Troy, confused by Gabriella's decision, is unable to concentrate on the game, while Gabriella is low in spirits. Realising their mistake, Chad and the basketball team tell Troy what happened and offer to support him in the call-backs. Troy goes to Gabriella's house and they reconcile, determined to audition for the musical.

Overhearing Gabriella and Troy rehearse, Sharpay asks Ms. Darbus to move the call-backs so they start at the same time as both Troy's basketball championship game and Gabriella's Scholastic Cecathlon competition. Kelsi overhears the conversation, and the basketball and decathlon teams make a plan together. On the day of the competitions, Taylor and Gabriella use the school's computers to delay the championship game by hacking the power in the gym and causing a chemical reaction that forces an evacuation during the decathlon. Troy and Gabriella rush to the auditorium as Sharpay and Ryan finish their call-back song. After Gabriella and Troy successfully perform their song, Ms. Darbus gives them the lead roles, making Sharpay and Ryan understudies.

Both teams win their respective competitions and the entire school gathers in the gym to celebrate. Chad asks Taylor out and Sharpay makes peace with Gabriella.

In a post-credits scene, Zeke Baylor paces alone in the gym, when Sharpay runs in, declaring that the cookies he had given her that she had initially rejected are "genius." She hugs him and he says he will make her a crème brûlée. Zeke smiles in victory.

### High School Musical 2

The school year ends with everyone at East High School looking forward to summer vacation. Troy Bolton is still dating Gabriella Montez, who decides to stay in Albuquerque with her mother. Troy eventually decides to look for a summer job to gain money for college.

Sharpay and Ryan Evans plan to spend part of the summer at their family's country club, Lava Springs, but Sharpay's summer plans also include pursuing Troy, whom she has arranged for to be hired at the club. However, Troy convinces the club's manager, Mr. Fulton, into hiring Gabriella and their close group of friends as well, including Taylor and Chad. Sharpay is enraged upon learning that Gabriella is working as one of the lifeguards but is unable to get her fired, so she orders Fulton to give them difficult tasks so they would want to quit. Fulton attempts to intimidate the group, but Troy rebuilds their confidence and convinces them that they can persevere.

Troy continues to worry about funding for college. Sharpay senses his need and arranges for Troy to be promoted, hoping that this will convince him to sing with her at the talent show. Meanwhile, Kelsi writes a ballad for Troy and Gabriella. Troy agrees to sing with his friends in the show, not knowing that Sharpay is vying for his attention. (In the extended version, Sharpay and Ryan trap Troy as he prepares for a date with Gabriella and perform their potential show-stopper ("Humuhumunukunukuapua'a").

Ryan realises he does not mean much to Sharpay anymore, as she is ready to blow her brother aside for the opportunity to perform with Troy. This leads to tension between the twin siblings and Ryan angrily informs Sharpay that he will no longer obey her orders. Taylor and Gabriella invite Ryan to the baseball game, where he persuades the Wildcats to take part in the talent show.

Troy and Gabriella's relationship is strained when Troy sees Ryan with Gabriella, sparking jealousy. Owing to a "promise" from Troy, he and Sharpay practice their song for the Midsummer Night's Talent Show.

When Sharpay discovers that Ryan and the Wildcats are putting together their own performance in the show, she orders Mr. Fulton to ban all junior staff members from performing. Gabriella angrily confronts Sharpay about her interference and quits her job at Lava Springs. Troy overhears the exchange and tries to persuade Gabriella to change her mind. Gabriella expresses her loss of trust with Troy, leaves Lava Springs and gives him the necklace back.

Troy returns to work the next day to find that his friends refuse to talk to him. Kelsi silently shows Troy the notice from Mr. Fulton, causing Troy to question his own motivations. He begins to reconcile with Chad and his other friends. Troy confronts Sharpay, informing her that he will not sing with her. The Wildcats forgive Troy for his absence and convince him to sing in the talent show, which he does only under the condition that they are all allowed to perform as well.

At Sharpay's supposed instruction, Ryan gives Troy a new song to learn moments before the show. As Troy goes onstage, he asks Sharpay why she switched the song and Sharpay is shocked to find that her brother tricked her. Troy sings the song alone until Gabriella surprisingly joins him onstage. In the end, Sharpay proudly presents her brother, Ryan, with the award for the talent show. After the talent show, all the Wildcats go to the golf course to enjoy the fireworks.

Everyone celebrates the end of the summer with a pool party.

### High School Musical 3: Senior Year

The East High Wildcats basketball team trail the West High Knights in the championship game of the season. At the half, Troy rallies his team and leads the team to victory. At the after-party, Troy and Gabriella discuss their unknown future and the short time they have left at East High.

At school, Ms. Darbus notices the lack of students signing up for the musical and Sharpay suggests a one-woman show. Kelsi signs up everyone in homeroom, to the displeasure of the class. Ms. Darbus announces that the show will be called "Senior Year", focusing on the future of the graduating seniors and reveals that Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi and Troy have all been considered for a scholarship at Juilliard School, but only one will be chosen. Sharpay becomes desperate to win and, knowing that Kelsi will give the best songs to Troy and Gabriella, gets Ryan to try to persuade Kelsi to give them a song by predicting her (and Ryan's) future.

While on the rooftop, Troy asks Gabriella to prom and she teaches him how to waltz, while Taylor refuses Chad’s pathetic attempt to ask her to the dance. She later relents when Chad asks again in front of everyone during lunch. The group rehearses for the musical with a scene about their prom night. The next day, Ryan and Kelsi rehearse which leads to Ryan asking Kelsi to prom, while Troy and Chad reminisce about their past in Reilly's Auto Parts. Tiara learns Gabriella has been accepted into the Stanford Freshman's Honours Program and informs Sharpay, who convinces Troy that he is the only thing keeping Gabriella from going. Troy convinces Gabriella to go and she leaves for college the next day.

Troy and his father, Jack, argue about which college he will attend and Troy drives to East High bewildered until he finally screams at the top of his lungs in the theatre. Witnessing this, Ms. Darbus reveals that she sent in his application for Juilliard. Troy gets a call from Gabriella saying that although she loves him, she will not return to Albuquerque for prom or graduation. However, on the day of the dance, Troy visits Gabriella at Stanford University and they have their own prom. Meanwhile, Sharpay prepares for her last musical at East High and Jimmie receives a text from Troy telling him to cover for him onstage because Troy is going to be late.

Kelsi and Ryan start the show; as Troy’s and Gabriella’s understudies, Jimmie performs with Sharpay and embarrasses her, although the audience applauds. Troy and Gabriella appear during the second half of the show and sing their duet together. Tiara betrays Sharpay, telling her Tiara will take over the drama department next year. Sharpay finally learns how it feels to be manipulated and humiliated, but crashes Tiara’s performance and upstages her.

At the end of the musical, Ms. Darbus reveals that both Kelsi and Ryan have won the Juilliard scholarship and Troy reveals he has chosen to attend the University of California, Berkeley to be close to Gabriella, play basketball and perform in theatre. Taylor reveals that she will be attending Yale University with honours to study Political Science, and Sharpay and Chad reveal they will attend the University of Albuquerque for Performing Arts and basketball, respectively.

At the graduation ceremony, Troy gives the class speech after being selected by Ms. Darbus and everyone celebrates finishing high school. The main cast take their last bows and wave goodbye as the curtain closes.

## Music

### Albums

Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records
ARIA: Platinum
BPI: 4x Platinum
BVMI: Platinum
IFPI AUT: Platinum
MC: Platinum
 High School Musical 2 | Released: August 14, 2007
Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records
ARIA: Platinum
BPI: 2x Platinum
BVMI: Platinum
IFPI AUT: Platinum
MC: 2x Platinum
 High School Musical 3: Senior Year | Released: October 21, 2008
Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records
ARIA: Platinum
BPI: Platinum
BVMI: Platinum
IFPI AUT: Platinum
MC: 2x Platinum
IFPI SWI: Gold
RMNZ: 2x Platinum

### Compilation Albums

Formats: CD and digital download
 Disney's Karaoke Series: High School Musical 2
Formats: CD and digital download
 Disney's Karaoke Series: High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Formats: CD and digital download
 High School Musical: Hits Collection
Formats: CD box set
 High School Musical: The Collection
Formats: CD box set
Label: Walt Disney Records

### Remix Albums

Formats: CD and digital download
 High School Musical 2: Non-Stop Dance Party | Released: December 11, 2007
Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records

## Cast and Characters

* Zac Efron as Troy Bolton (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Monique Coleman as Taylor McKessie (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Alyson Reed as Ms. Darbus (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Olesya Rulin as Kelsi Nielsen (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Chris Warren Jr. as Zeke Baylor (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Kaycee Stroh as Martha Cox (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Ryne Sanborn as Jason Cross (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Bart Johnson as Jack Bolton (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Leslie Wing Pomeroy (High School Musical 1, 2 and 3)
* Joey Miyashima as Principal Matsui (High School Musical 1 and 3)
* Socorro Herrera as Mrs. Montez (High School Musical 1 and 3)
* Robert Curtis Brown as Vance Evans (High School Musical 2 and 3)
* Jessica Tuck as Darby Evans (High School Musical 2 and 3)
* Manly "Little Pickles" Ortega as Boi (High School Musical 2 and 3)
* Mark L. Taylor as Mr. Fulton (High School Musical 2)
* Miley Cyrus as Cameo (High School Musical 2)
* David Reivers as Charlie Danforth
* Yolanda Wood as Jenny Danforth
* Jemma McKenzie-Brown as Tiara Gold
* Justin Martin as Donnie Dion
* Matt Prokop as Jimmie Zara

## Spin-offs

### Reality Series

See Also: High School Musical: Get in the Picture

During July and August 2008, ABC 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. In the UK, a reality show titled Hairspray: The School Musical premiered in 2008 on Sky1. It saw a team of vocal coaches, acting coaches and choreographers hold auditions at a regular comprehensive school where a mix of students could audition for a West End production of the hit Broadway musical, Hairspray. Although the musical being performed was not High School Musical, the film was the inspiration behind the show. The show was presented by Denise Van Outen and was credited, along with High School Musical, for inspiring a generation of children in the United Kingdom to get into theatrical work.

### Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure

Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is a spin-off and direct-to-DVD film starring Ashley Tisdale. The film features Sharpay Evans trying to get a role in a Broadway show following graduation. The film was released as a Blu-ray and DVD combination pack on April 19, 2011

### Television Series

See Also: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

In 2019, Disney announced the release of their own television series based on the High School Musical franchise that was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019. The series, titled High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, focuses on the newly enrolled set of East High Wildcats putting together a production of High School Musical.

## On Stage Performances

### Stage Musical

See Also: High School Musical on Stage!

On August 1, 2006, Playbill announced that the Stagedoor Manor summer theatre camp, featured in the film Camp, would be the first venue to produce High School Musical on-stage.

North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachussetts had a stage production of High School Musical running until the end of July 2007, featuring Broadway actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Rockwell, a semi-finalist on Grease: You're the One that I Want!, as Sharpay. Pacific Repertory Theatre's School of Dramatic Arts staged the California premiere in 2007 (which it revived in 2008) and presented the West Coast premiere of High School Musical 2 in January 2009.

Theatre of the Stars in Atlanta, Georgia was the first professional company to put on High School Musical.

See Also: High School Musical 2: On Stage!

Like the original High School Musical, the sequel has been adapted into two different theatrical productions. A one-act, 70-minute version and a two-act full-length production. This stage production includes the song "Hummuhummunukunukuapua'a" that was left out of the original movie but included in the DVD. Through Music Theater International, Disney Theatrical began licensing the theatrical rights in October 2008. MTI had originally recruited 7 schools to serve as tests for the new full-length adaptation, but due to complications with multiple drafts of both the script and the score, all but two schools were forced to drop out of the pilot program.

### Concert Tour

See Also: High School Musical: The Concert

The High School Musical: The Concert tour started on November 29, 2006, kicking off in San Diego, California. 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.

### 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 Medallist 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 featured a special preview of High School Musical 3: Senior Year when the movie of the same name premiered in theatres.

## Video Games

1. High School Musical: Sing It!
2. High School Musical: Makin' the Cut!
3. High School Musical 2: Work This Out!
4. High School Musical 3: Senior Year
5. High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance
6. Disney Sing It! - High School Musical 3: Senior Year

## Books

### Junior Novels

1. High School Musical: Junior Novel by N.B. Grace, released June 1, 2006
2. High School Musical 2: Junior Novel by N.B. Grace, released August 14, 2007
3. High School Musical 3: Senior Year: Junior Novel by N.B. Grace, released September 23, 2008

### Stories from East High

1. Battle of the Bands by N.B. Grace, released January 16, 2007
2. Wildcat Spirit by Catherine Hapka, released March 20, 2007
3. Poetry in Motion by Alice Alfonsi, released May 22, 2007
4. Crunch Time by N.B. Grace, released July 31, 2007
5. Broadway Dreams by N.B. Grace, released September 25, 2007
6. Heart to Heart by Helen Perelman, released November 27, 2007
7. Friends 4Ever? by Catherine Hapka, released February 26, 2008
8. Get Your Vote On! by Alice Alfonsi, released April 22, 2008
9. Ringin' It In by N.B. Grace, released August 26, 2008
10. Turn Up the Heat by Helen Perelman, released October 28, 2008
11. In The Spotlight by Catherine Hapka, released December 23, 2008
12. Bonjour, Wildcats! by N.B. Grace, released February 24, 2009
13. Game On by Sarah Nathan, released April 28, 2009
14. Lights, Camera, Action! by N.B. Grace, released July 21, 2009

#### Special Series

1. Under the Stars by Helen Perelman, released June 3, 2008
2. Shining Moments by Helen Perelman, released April 28, 2009

**TV Series:** High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | Season 1 | List of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Episodes