However, she agrees to join her older sister to find the famous pop star, Christopher Wilde. The script that caught his eye, a Disney Channel Original Movie with the working title “Untitled High School Musical Project,” became a phenomenon despite Ortega’s desire to keep a low-profile. Things are fine in the beginning. “There was something going on with those two youngsters,” Ortega remembers. Today he is 33 , and has starred in 32 movies in total, 28 since High School Musical was released. Zac Efron is forever beloved for portraying Troy Bolton in the High School Musical movies - you can't even imagine anyone else playing that role. That was over 15 years ago in 2006. If Disney keeps up at this rate all the new actors and actress, singers and everyone will be the new product of them! ‘High School Musical’ was No. How are we going to play this?”, Ortega, who is openly gay, never wanted to explicitly mention Ryan’s sexual orientation. Adventures of a teenage pop star who keeps her identity secret from even her closest friends by using a disguise on-stage. As we're all stuck indoors at the moment, what better time to revisit all the High School Musical films on Disney+, which has conveniently just been made available in the UK!. Hudgens had puppy eyes for her soon-to-be leading man and was nervous to act opposite a shaggy-haired Efron. They both get callbacks, infuriating drama queen Sharpay Evans and her sidekick brother Ryan. Though he profusely apologized, Efron assured him there was no need to say sorry. “He had an accessibility. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future. Original musicals take two-to-four years of crafting and creating with producers,” Lawrence says. Though Seeley didn’t get the part, he would later make his mark on the film’s music. In 2007, about a year after “High School Musical” premiered, Variety asked about the forthcoming sequel: “Will the tens of millions of teens from Tuscon to Tuscaloosa (not to mention Brazil and Australia) go for a whole new set of numbers and storylines when they’re so attached to the old ones?” The short answer: Duh. Don’t fall to peer pressure.”, Barsocchini knew that infectious tunes — and the promise of a heartthrob like Efron — would make “High School Musical” an easy sell for girls. Time for High School Musical 2, the sequel to the Disney Channel smash that aired on Aug. 17, 2007 and became the most-watched basic-cable show ever. They quickly become close friends and accidentally audition for the school musical. Though Disney, years ago, began casting a fourth “High School Musical” film with a new set of cast members, it never took off. As Hannah Montana's popularity begins to take over her life, Miley Stewart, on the urging from her father takes a trip to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, Disney Channel's 2006 original made-for-tv film, took kidnation by storm and made overnight stars out of Zac Efron and Vannesa Anne Hudgens. That became “Stick to the Status Quo,” a catchy anthem about the struggle between having your own voice and conforming to peer pressure. “An Einstein-ette,” Ryan offers in the film. In other words, “High School Musical” earns its G-rating. Don’t stick to the status quo. After all, this was before the days where you could tell something was popular because the hunky lead gained several million Instagram followers overnight. High School Musical. After narrowing down the search in an epic 12-hour marathon callback day, it was time to put the decision in the hands of Disney execs. “We thought they were going to use Zac’s voice,” Hart adds. (TV Movie 2006). [5] Seinen urs… Good job Disney!! Last year, Disney Plus debuted the spinoff series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which focuses on a new generation of East High Wildcats putting together a production of what else? Comedy about identical twins living at the Tipton Hotel with their single mother who is a lounge singer at the hotel. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The cast grew close during the weeks-long shoot in Utah, bonding over rigorous vocal training and dance rehearsals. “When ‘High School Musical’ became successful, that’s when we found ourselves having to backtrack.”), The part of Troy’s best friend Chad went to Corbin Bleu, who originally auditioned for Ryan. “We did what everyone does when you need an idea,” Barsocchini says with a laugh. The casting directors knew they had undeniable chemistry and would make an ideal onscreen duo. Like “American Idol,” another musical phenomenon that existed at around the same time, “High School Musical” could play to tweens, teens and their parents. They knew they had to end with a bang. This movie has a few soon to be rising stars in it! “You have to understand, nobody wanted to touch musicals on television. “One of the reasons it took off is because parents could watch it with their kids without cringing,” Barsocchini says. The music brings meaning to the story and without it the movie wouldn't be complete which is why it is called High School Musical! All of the songs on the soundtrack charted, unheard of for a TV movie soundtrack. Zac Efron was 17 in High School Musical when he played the character 'Troy Bolton'. During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009). So he asked his agents to keep an eye out for a TV movie, something “under the radar” that would allow him to quietly flex his filmmaking chops as he slid behind the camera for his first feature since 1993’s “Hocus Pocus.” (And before that, he’d directed another cult Disney favorite, the 1992 musical “Newsies.”). Screenwriter Peter Barsocchini and director Kenny Ortega deliberately placed the movie’s song and dance numbers to “trick” boys into watching a musical. It also became a financial juggernaut for the Disney Channel, driving unprecedented demand for DVDs, dolls, T-shirts, posters, sleeping bags, lunch boxes — you name it, Troy and Gabriella’s faces were on it. Disney Channel’s Marsh remembers having one note. That’s not to say they didn’t like the movie. The third and final movie with the original cast, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” scored a theatrical released and generated more than $250 million at the global box office. © Copyright 2021 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. The cast grew close during the weeks-long shoot in Salt Lake City, Utah, bonding over rigorous vocal training and dance rehearsals. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy (2006–2008). [5] Zac Efron nahm ab seinem 11. Daily POP Crosswords features the best pop-culture-themed puzzles from the top puzzle constructors, including many from Dell Magazines and Penny Press, the #1 crossword-puzzle-magazine publisher. They quickly become close friends and accidentally audition for the school musical. Look back at our favorite moments throughout the year, from award shows to up-close shots of celebrities. “In our very first meeting,” Hart recalls, “Kenny said: ‘This has the potential to be this generation’s ‘Grease.’ He really wanted people who had strong singing, acting and dancing qualities.” The casting process took around two months, a time in which Hart estimates they “saw the world.” Some were eliminated immediately because they couldn’t sing. “I wanted a gay character, but I knew I had to be careful,” Ortega says. Directed by Kenny Ortega. After some reluctance — and to the dismay of the entire student body — they try out for their school’s musical. Yet the backstory was heavily inspired by his own upbringing at an all-boys Catholic high school. Zachary David Alexander Efron is an American actor and singer. 'Hairspray,' 'Me and Orson Welles' In addition to High School Musical 2, Efron … She said, ‘He’s too cute. That’s why when the news first broke back in the day that Drew Seeley was actually the one singing all of Troy’s vocals in the movie, fans were shook to their core.. Now, years later, one question is still on all HSM fans’ minds — Why didn’t Zac … The Sarah Jane Adventures: Revenge of the Slitheen: Part 2, East High School - 840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. “Never part with it,” Bleu advises. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Breaking Down the Rumored Love Triangle Between Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter, Disney+ Original Content Chief Ricky Strauss to Exit. The next week, Troy returns to East High, his high school in New Mexico, to find that Gabriella is a new student there. “[Conventional wisdom says] they don’t generate ratings, people are bored and not into musicals. Zac Efron was only 19 years old when he played Troy Bolton in the first High School Musical movie. While the cast was being finalized, Barsocchini, Ortega and executives at Disney were refining the screenplay. I, being 18 years of age and sitting at home on a Friday night to watch it, am happy to say I sat through the entire thing happily! HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, Disney Channel's 2006 original made-for-tv film, took kidnation by storm and made overnight stars out of Zac Efron and Vannesa Anne Hudgens. Ortega says maybe it’s for the better. Read Next: ‘High School Musical’ Turns 15: A Look Back at the Humble Origins of Disney Channel’s Billion-Dollar Franchise, “In our very first meeting,” casting director Natalie Hart recalls, “Kenny [Ortega] said: ‘This has the potential to be this generation’s ‘Grease. “I would love nothing more than a reunion where everyone, including Zac Efron, could have dinner together and say ‘Wow wasn’t that something?’ We don’t even need cameras there.”. Written by !’ We felt it didn’t belong there.”, It was the franchise’s genuine innocence that captivated viewers across the country — and the world. Use the HTML below. Ortega liked Grabeel’s energy but suggested he’d be better suited for Sharpay’s theater-loving brother Ryan. But way back when, he recalls, it would have turned the school upside down. Why are you keeping them so long?’ I was set on making sure these actors had all that it would take.”. The plot was virtually the same as that High School Musical, but with more similarities to Grease (1978). By the time it became a musical, they didn’t know they were watching a musical.”, The first full-fledged musical number came at the request of executives, who suggested turning a standard cafeteria scene into a splashy song and dance. Others, like Zac Efron, Drew Seeley, and Hunter Parrish, moved to the top of the pack as potential Troys. High School Musical 2 Extended Edition: What time is it? I never experienced anything like it in my life. David Lawrence, who composed the film, wrote the song with his wife and producing partner Faye Greenberg. In its first five years, the “High School Musical” franchise amassed $4 billion in retail sales worldwide. When it became a success, they had Zac taking voice lessons.” Efron’s singing voice was eventually used in subsequent sequels. The closest thing to scandal is when the over-the-top drama teacher Mrs. Darbus (Alyson Reed) stomps through the sweaty men’s gym locker room. The first positive indication came from dailies, industry jargon for unedited movie footage that’s collected each day for executives. High School Musical It also spawned a humongously successful TV movie sequel ( High School Musical 2 (Extended Edition) ), and there's word that the third flick will be theatrically released. Hart and La Padura had previously cast Efron, then 18, in the WB teen drama “Summerland” and brought him in after learning he could carry a tune. As seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. But Efron wasn’t the only teenage actor in the Disney musical film, as his co-stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale were similarly young when they starred in … They recognized Vanessa Hudgens from a sci-fi movie “Thunderbirds” and were familiar with Ashley Tisdale from her breakout role on Disney Channel’s show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.”, “When we first met Zac, we felt he had the quality of what we’d call a matinee idol. The film has its origins in a 1999 script entitled "Grease 3." I didn’t want him to be stereotype.” That was something Ortega achieved, in turn offering many teens someone they could look up to and emulate. There was a sense on set that the cast and crew were creating something special, but wasn’t until the film aired on Disney Channel that the young stars understood how drastically their lives would alter. “We got an email from [then-Disney Channels president] Rich Ross saying, ‘The world just changed. View production, box office, & company info. Disney Channel capitalized on the momentum with sing-along and dance-along screenings week after week. '”, Gary Marsh, longtime head of Disney Channels Worldwide, says, “We saw the chemistry between [Zac and Vanessa], and we were sold.”. “The second is [“Get’cha Head in the Game”], a guy’s number in the gym. You will be redirected back to your article in. Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are two totally different teenagers who meet at a party while singing karaoke on New Year's Eve. The first only offers up an innocent peck on the cheek. Since High School Musical first hit Disney Channel in 2006, one thing has been true — Zac Efron is and always will be Troy Bolton. By coincidence, Gabriella moves to Troy’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the new year and transfers to his school, East High. We thought, we will fool them into watching a musical,” Barsocchini says. Jessica Olsen was expecting a normal trip to California with her family to visit her grandma. Back then, they arrived in the form of cassette tapes. (A funny aside: Disney executives didn’t come clean at first, instructing Efron to pretend that it was his voice when doing press for the first movie. This fun and easy-to-use crossword puzzle app features new, … He transitioned from a teen idol in one of the cheesiest movies of all time to a … It also spawned a humongously successful TV movie sequel ( High School Musical 2 (Extended Edition) ), and there's word that the third flick will be theatrically released. Grabeel remembers asking Ortega, “Is Ryan gay? Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are two totally different teenagers who meet at a party while singing karaoke on New Year's Eve. “Slowly, the buzz internally started to rise.”. One day, the star athlete confided a dark secret to Barsocchini. And then it kept growing,” Marsh says. Ortega remembers, “Zac Efron walked up to me and said, ‘This is what we chose to do. Overnight, everything completely changed. There’s nothing to prepare you for that kind of onslaught.” Grabeel never returned to his job at Blockbuster. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Efron and Hudgens were paired up for the final callback. Then Chad, Troy's best friend and basketball teammate, and Taylor, Gabriella's new friend on the decathlon team, must make Gabriella hate Troy. Zac Efron has waited out much of the Coronavirus pandemic in the low-key but celeb-packed beachside town of Byron Bay on Australia’s Gold Coast — two hours south of Brisbane and a 1/15-hour flight from Sydney. We knew he had the capability of being a leading man.” They similarly felt Hudgens had an “It” factor that made her perfect to portray Gabriella, a bookish and beautiful brainiac who fears of being known as the school’s “freaky genius girl.”. With Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel. Others, like Zac Efron, Drew Seeley, and Hunter Parrish, moved to the top of the pack as potential Troys. Welcome! HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: DELUXE DANCE EDITION brings you inside the world of the Wildcats with "Bigger, Better, Best" bonus features -- including deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes special and a first look at the highly anticipated big-screen bash HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR! “They were like, ‘When are we going to kiss? 288 of 459 people found this review helpful. Zachary David Alexander Efron was born October 18, 1987 in San Luis Obispo, California, to Starla Baskett, a secretary, and David Efron, an electrical engineer. Many of the other actors tried to distance themselves from the franchise after “High School Musical 3” in an effort to grow up in Hollywood (which may explain why Efron, Hudgens and Tisdale declined to be interviewed for this story). He’s a fan of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” but making another movie set at East High “isn’t in my thinking.”, One thing on his bucket list? [4] Er hat einen jüngeren Bruder. ShannonO'Reilly. School's out for summer and the East High Wildcats are ready to make it the time of their lives after landing jobs in a wealthy country club owned by Sharpay and Ryan's family. Look at Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Raven, and many others! “‘High School Musical’ was done the opposite. Time for High School Musical 2, the sequel to the Disney Channel smash that aired on Aug. 17, 2007 and became the most-watched basic-cable show ever. “We put the kids through a really long process. I can’t read with him.’ She had a meltdown,” Hart recalls fondly. 1 in the timeslot in all of cable and broadcast in women ages 18-49.'”. Then Chad, Troy's best friend and basketball teammate, and Taylor, Gabriella's new friend on the decathlon team, must make Gabriella hate Troy. The surname "Efron", which is Hebrew and a Biblical place name, comes from Zac's Polish Jewish paternal grandfather. “They didn’t think his voice was as strong as it needed to be,” La Padura, the casting director, recalls. But musicals are notoriously tricky to pull off, especially if they’re original and not adapted from a well-known Broadway show. “High School Musical” loyalists know that story served as the influence behind Troy Bolton, the school’s basketball jock MVP who has a secret passion for harmonizing. 1 in … Five high school kids, Olivia, Wendall, Stella, Charlie, and Mo, meet in detention and start a band based on the lemonade vending machine outside the detention room. What he doesn't know is that the girl is actually a camp kitchen worker with a fear of being heard. He has a younger brother, Dylan. A popular high-school athlete and an academically-gifted girl get roles in the school musical and develop a friendship that threatens East High's social order. In honor of the 15th anniversary, Variety spoke to cast and crew members about the making the film — and how a modest teen musical became one of the most commercially successful TV movies ever and taught younger viewers to love musicals. I slept with it.”, On the first day of filming, Ortega, who had previously choreographed “Dirty Dancing” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” excitedly lost track of time and taught the cast the dances for two hours without giving them a break. (An athlete who can make a mean crème brûlée? A popular high-school athlete and an academically-gifted girl get roles in the school musical and develop a friendship that threatens East High's social order. Musical numbers were regularly granted two to three days to perfect and capture on camera. “At the time I was working on another TV show,” Bleu says. ... ‘High School Musical’ was No. YouTube Pioneer Toby Turner Lists L.A. House, RS Recommends: This Portable HD Projector With 25,000 Reviews is on Sale for $79, President Joe Biden Wore a Rolex Datejust Watch on His First Day in Office, Larry Scott Out as Pac-12 Commissioner as Pandemic Year Caps Tenure, Dear Tech Companies: Please Stop Trying to Make Vertical Video a Thing. “You rip off Shakespeare.”. Search for "High School Musical" on Amazon.com, Title: Was this review helpful to you? She gets 16 magic candles - 1 wish per hour. Then came a sold-out concert tour, traveling ice shows, touring stage productions, and a show at Disney theme parks. It was the most money the Disney Channel ever spent on a television movie.”, Ortega admits: “I remembered being nervous.”, Any fears dissipated on the day the movie premiered. Since “High School Musical” had an expedited production schedule, separate songwriters were commissioned to pen the remaining breakout tunes, like “Breaking Free” and “What I’ve Been Looking For.”, “In the old days, movie musicals were cinematic reproductions of what they were on Broadway. The times were different. Abby's made a 16 wishes list for her 16th birthday. They both get callbacks, infuriating drama queen Sharpay Evans and her sidekick brother Ryan. If that plot sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because “High School Musical” plays like a lovingly kitschy mashup of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Grease.” Peter Barsocchini, the film’s screenwriter, admits to borrowing the concept of star-crossed lovers (in the world of East High, the jocks vs. the math geeks replaced the feuding Capulets and Montagues). Efron had plenty of charisma and charm, but internally there was concern about his vocal prowess. “‘I always wanted to be a ballet dancer. “We were all given talking points,” Efron told Newsweek in 2007. [3] Sein Vater David Efron ist von Beruf Ingenieur, seine Mutter Starla Baskett ist Sekretärin. The character who would become Sharpay was to be the daughter of Betty Rizzo (producers tried … It didn’t just launch the careers Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens (known then as Vanessa Anne Hudgens), Ashley Tisdale and more. Agents would call casting directors saying, ‘What is going on? Zac Efron: from 'High School Musical' to Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron is quite an enigma. A princess whose country has been invaded goes into hiding in Louisiana, where she has to learn to act like an ordinary teenager. “Without having to say he’s gay, I’ve so many young gay kids reached out to say thank you for giving us Ryan Evans.”. For all of its runaway success and enduring popularity, executives at Disney weren’t initially confident in “High School Musical” and felt they were taking a big risk by giving it a $4.2 million budget. This movie is for adults and kids and also brought me back to high school even though it was only a year ago! Seeley ended up recording vocals for Troy, and Efron lip synced throughout the movie to someone else’s singing. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were to star as the children of Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson from the 1978 film. On our website you will find all the today’s answers to Daily POP Crosswords. So he placed the movie’s numerous musical numbers very deliberately, careful not to scare away any dudes with a “break-into-song musical.”, “We made a conscious decision to make the first song a karaoke number [“The Start of Something New”]. “High School Musical” was the rare made-for-TV movie that transcended its humble origins and captivated a generation of teens and tweens when it premiered on Jan. 20, 2006. “She was so smitten. “They were like contraband people wanted to get their hands on,” Marsh says. Efron has since starred in the films New Year's Eve (2011), The Lucky One (2012), The Paperboy (2012), Neighbors (2014), Dirty Grandpa(201… Their travails included battling judgement from drama club president and preeminent thespian Sharpay Evans (Tisdale) and her twin brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), as well as Troy’s best friend and basketball teammate Chad (Corbin Bleu) and Gabriella’s new confidant and scholastic decathlon partner in crime Taylor (Monique Coleman). And its popularity hasn’t waned. I said, ‘Can we come up with something that feels less cheesy?” As a result, they brought back a rewritten chorus and a new title — “We’re All in This Together.” “The world would have been different without it,” he adds, knowingly. “When the movie aired, we went to this carnival over the weekend, and I was mobbed. I told Lucas it won’t be something Ryan acts on in high school. As for the lack of a lip lock, Ortega says “not everything needs to be sealed with a kiss.” However, Efron and Hudgens, who ultimately started dating in real life, were yearning for some onscreen action. The cast of "High School Musical" reunited on Zoom, however, fans noticed that star Zac Efron, who played Troy Bolton, was noticeably absent. Other small tidbits from Barsocchini’s life were woven into the script, like the name of his then 10-year-old daughter, Gabriella. Zac Efron, Actor: The Greatest Showman. “It was a juggernaut that came out of nowhere.”  Barsocchini says. “I had a basketball with me everywhere. We’re here to make this great.’ At that moment, he gave me permission to make the movie — that I could go for things, I could challenge them and myself.”, The cast also fondly remembers getting permission to infuse themselves into the script; Bleu had a heavy hand in the quirky jokes for character’s T-shirts, while Grabeel remembers improvising the line, “Everybody loves a good jazz square.”, Back at the Disney lot, excitement started to generate as the movie came together. A new camp has opened across the lake, creating an atmosphere of competition or feud. “High School Musical” may not have worked without its squeaky-clean storyline, bordering on saccharine-sweet to avoid polarizing any family audiences. Meanwhile the 20-year-old Lucas Grabeel, who previously starred in the Disney Channel movie “Halloweentown High” and was working at Blockbuster, initially read for Troy. Disney was taking a really big chance.” Barsocchini adds, “The week before it premiered, everyone got cold feet. This was a overall good movie by the Disney Channel's standards! “But they felt Drew’s was stronger. Zac Efron wuchs als Sohn einer jüdischen Familie der US-amerikanischen Mittelschicht in San Luis Obispo auf und zog später nach Arroyo Grande. While you've most likely memorised all the … That strategy seems to have paid off for Efron, who transcended his Disney Channel roots and went on to headline box office hits including “Hairspray,” “17 Again” and “Neighbors.” Efron’s career may have moved beyond East High, but even those roles failed to achieve the kind of feverish fan support as his returns to playing Troy Bolton. “I never shared that part of myself in high school. Sharpay, meanwhile, was named after a dog that once sunk its choppers into him. Convincing boys to watch could be a different story. The team came up with a feel-good number called “Everyone’s a Winner” to close out the film. Lebensjahr Klavierstunden[3][5] und spielt außerdem Klarinette. For the uninitiated, “High School Musical” centers on Troy Bolton (Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Hudgens), two high schoolers who meet during winter vacation and discover a mutual love of music after serendipitously singing karaoke together. And so casting directors Natalie Hart and Jason La Padura embarked on an arduous mission, one that involved multiple callbacks and auditioning hundreds of young actors, before finding lovable starlets to play Troy, Gabriella and the rest of the East High Wildcats. The only issue? “Seems nice, but bites,” he says. The next week, Troy returns to East High, his high school in New Mexico, to find that Gabriella is a new student there. At a music camp for gifted teens, a popular teen idol overhears a girl singing and sets out to find who the talented voice belongs to.