'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' is currently in production in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The next generation of High School Musical is here!
Disney announced the stars of their upcoming Disney+ series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Friday, with production currently underway in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The 10-episode series picks up nearly 15 years after High School Musical, starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, aired on Disney Channel in 2006. The show takes place at East High, following a group of students as they count down to the opening night of their school's production of High School Musical.
Joshua Bassett (Stuck in the Middle) was previously announced to play Ricky, a "sarcastic yet charismatic skate rat and high school junior, who launches a bold plan to prove himself to his ex-girlfriend Nini -- by auditioning to star opposite her in the school's first-ever production of High School Musical: The Musical."
Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) plays Nini, "who just returned from summer theater camp after finding her voice, her confidence -- and her new boyfriend. Fiercely loyal to her two moms, Nini is a star -- if she can just believe in herself long enough to stay put in the spotlight."
Kate Reinders (Work It) plays Miss Jenn, "the school's new high-energy, low-reality drama teacher, who believes musicals can save lives." Sofia Wylie (Andi Mack), meanwhile, plays Gina, "a recent transfer student and a diehard theater kid with as many skeletons in the closet as she has credits on her résumé. She is both ambitious and entitled, and dead set on showing Miss Jenn that she made a huge mistake in casting her as the understudy."
Matt Cornett (Bella and the Bulldogs) plays E.J., "Nini's new love interest, the supremely confident son of two corporate lawyers, who secretly battles the pressure of living up to his picture-perfect Instagram account. Co-captain of the water polo team, senior class treasurer, and trust fund baby...it's not a good idea to cross E.J. if you get something he wants -- like the lead in the musical."
Dara Renee' (Freaky Friday) plays Kourtney, "Nini's ride-or-die best friend who's obsessed with makeup tutorials and feminism in equal measure. Kourtney works on the costume crew of High School Musical, pulling together runway-ready fashion on a high school budget."
Julia Lester (Mom) plays E.J.'s cousin, Ashlyn, an "old soul who worships Sara Bareilles and is an aspiring songwriter on the sly," while Frankie A. Rodriguez (Modern Family) plays Carlos, "the captain of the color guard and the student choreographer for the show. Carlos thinks of Miss Jenn as a peer. He eats lunch in her office, has been drinking espresso since the 3rd grade and already has his Tony Awards speech memorized."
Larry Saperstein (Fan Girl) plays Big Red, "a skater boy through and through. Big Red is the spiritual cousin of both Bill and Ted: always fuzzy and he's been sleep-deprived since preschool. Big Red is weirdly devastated by Ricky and Nini's breakup -- his surest role is as their wisecracking third wheel."
Rounding out the cast is Mark St. Cyr (Doomsday) as Mr. Mazzara, "East High's somewhat robotic S.T.E.M. teacher. His belief in preparing students for the future often leads him to butt heads with Miss Jenn, who would rather sing about life than live in the real world."
The High School Musical cast reunited in 2006 in celebration of the movie's 10th anniversary. See more in the video below.
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