A Whimsical Modern Musical

‘H ear me out.” When my brother says this, you know something mildly silly is about to come out of his mouth. And just as my family rolls their eyes in response, so will NR readers when they see the topic of this essay: Disney’s 2006 hit movie High School Musical.

To head off the ridiculing comments: No, I’m not saying this is a Rodgers and Hammerstein­–level show, or that it contains Fred Astaire–level dancing, or even that it’s a ground-breaking piece of cinema. I’d simply posit that this winsome made-for-TV movie is one of the few actually well-done, engaging TV programs Disney has produced in the 21st century that can be enjoyed by all ages.

In this classic boy-meets-girl tale, high-school basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) meets Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) at a New Year’s Eve party when they’re thrown together for a karaoke song. Though they claim they can’t sing, both end up rocking the event and finish the night by exchanging phone numbers. Through the magic of Disney, our leads meet again during the spring semester at East High, where Troy attends and where Gabriella has just transferred. They end up auditioning for the winter musicale, surprising themselves and shocking the school’s ecosystem. Troy’s basketball team and Gabriella’s new friends try to sabotage the pair’s relationship, thinking it will help everyone get what they want. Some songs and a few dance scenes later (because that’s really all it takes, right?), the couple is back together, and along with their friends, they concoct a plan to thwart the machinations of the theater-club presidents and make it to their call-back audition.

This uncomplicated tale is moved along smoothly by strong characters, as both the leads and the supporting cast are engaging to watch. Twin sister and brother Sharpay and Ryan Evans, the show’s on-again-off-again antagonists (played fabulously by Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel), quite possibly steal the movie with their silly self-centered attitudes, flashy performances, and eccentric outfits. And who could forget Corbin Bleu’s performance as Chad Danforth, Troy’s best friend and basketball buddy? With enviable hair, and dance moves to match, Chad gives audiences a chuckle each time he appears.

The choreographers and producers of High School Musical understood something that most other modern Disney movies have missed: Large, well-crafted dance numbers are far more entertaining than lots of moody shots of the leads. Yes, Troy and Gabriella are the movie’s focus, but they have few solos and are continuously engaging with each other and the other cast members. Cast chemistry is very evident throughout the movie, from the dialogue to the impressive dance numbers, all of which were masterminded by Kenny Ortega. Clever pieces such as the musical basketball scene, “Get’cha Head in the Game”; Ryan and Sharpay’s hilarious audition, “Bop to the Top”; and the uplifting closing number, “We’re All in This Together,” delight with their energy and originality.

Unlike other more recent Disney offerings, this movie has no objectionable content. A recent rewatching reminded me how classy all the characters’ outfits are, even though each person has some quirky sartorial twist. Teachers and parents, while amusing and dramatic at times, are generally respected and respectable. They support their students and children, encouraging them in positive ways. Many such shows are full of trite, preachy moments, but High School Musical generally avoids these, and it especially skips the trend of overly mouthy teens spouting off cheap one-liners that drags down so much of kids’ television.

To say this movie was a smash hit is probably underselling it. High School Musical 2 pulled the highest TV ratings ever for a Disney movie, but that was due to the success of the first movie. There were concert tours, books, board games, posters, party décor . . . the list is lengthy. Three High School Musical movies were eventually made, and though High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3 have enjoyable moments, they fail to capture the unique charm of the original. (Though Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel’s epic baseball showdown “I Don’t Dance” may convince me that High School Musical 2 has some merit.)

Sharpay also received her own spin-off movie, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, and in 2019, Disney+ released High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. This last offering, which is now filming its fourth season, has none of the creativity of the 2006 movie. Brash, snippy, suggestive — it’s a convoluted and unoriginal knockoff. The first High School Musical drew audiences in by presenting them with fun characters who looked like normal high-schoolers having the time of their lives. This new show is stuffed with over-the-top dance scenes rarely seen outside Broadway, catty, brooding teens, and clear LGBTQ plot points. While this isn’t surprising coming from today’s Disney studios, it’s still disappointing.

Thankfully, we can take a trip back to East High circa 2006, a quieter time with no iPhones or raging agendas and a better understanding of comedic timing. Yes, it’s mostly unrealistic in its relationships and timeline, but that’s part of the fun. I used the word “winsome” earlier, and that truly does encapsulate the feeling of this movie — a wonderful 96 minutes that will leave you humming a tune and tapping your toes.