High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an American mockumentary musical drama television series created for Disney+ by Tim Federle, inspired by the High School Musical film series. The series is produced by Chorus Boy and Salty Pictures in association with Disney Channel. Oliver Goldstick served as showrunner for the first four episodes; he was succeeded by Federle for the remainder of the first season and thereafter.
Set at a fictionalized version of East High School, the school at which the original movies were filmed, the first season follows a group of teenage theater enthusiasts who participate in a staging of High School Musical: The Musical as their school production. The series showcases a different featured musical in each following season, and explores the lives of the characters as they navigate friendships, love, interests, identity, and family relationships. The series stars Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Larry Saperstein, Julia Lester, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, Mark St. Cyr, Kate Reinders, Joe Serafini, Saylor Bell Curda, Adrian Lyles and Liamani Segura. Several cast members from the original film series also appear in guest roles as fictionalized versions of themselves.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series premiered on Disney Channel, ABC, and Freeform as a preview simulcast on November 8, 2019, ahead of its launch on Disney+ on November 12; its first season consisted of 10 episodes. Before the series debuted, it was renewed by Disney+ for a second season of 12 episodes that premiered in May 2021. The third season consisting of eight episodes premiered in July 2022. The fourth and final season consisting of eight episodes premiered in August 2023. Critical reviews have highlighted the performances of the cast, particularly those of Bassett and Rodrigo, and compared the series to Glee for its music and themes. There has been a mixed reception to the program's mockumentary format. The series won a GLAAD Media Award, five Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, and was nominated for eleven Children's and Family Emmy Awards.
Premise[]
At a fictionalized version of East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, Miss Jenn begins work as the new drama teacher. The school holds significance as it is where the High School Musical films, a series of Disney Channel original movies, were filmed. Miss Jenn was a former background cast member in the film, and the teacher decides to stage a performance of High School Musical: The Musical for her first winter theater production to celebrate the school's affiliation with the original film. The club members cast in High School Musical: The Musical learn to navigate their interpersonal relationships while overcoming the challenges of the rehearsal process.
During the second season, the theater students of East High stage a production of Beauty and the Beast for the spring musical. Miss Jenn leads the cast in an attempt to win a prestigious local student theater competition while facing off against their rival school, North High. The third season is set outside of the school year and features the students attending a summer theater camp in California, called Camp Shallow Lake. The campers prepare a stage production of Frozen while a documentary series about the rehearsal process is filmed over the summer. The theater students return to East High in the fourth and final season to stage a production based on the film High School Musical 3: Senior Year. They later learn that a fictionalized film sequel entitled High School Musical 4: The Reunion is being filmed at the school, and that they will become extras in the film.
External links[]
https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/high-school-musical-the-musical-the-series