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, six Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, and was nominated for fourteen Children's and Family Emmy Awards, winning twice for Outstanding Original Song for a Children's or Young Teen Program and Outstanding Choreography.
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.
Cast and characters Main Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts (seasons 1–2, recurring season 3), a musical theater enthusiast. She is cast as Gabriella Montez in the first season and in chorus roles in the second season. In the third season, she embarks on a road trip to California to pursue her career in singing and songwriting. Joshua Bassett as Ricky Bowen, a guitarist and skateboarder who previously dated Nini. In the first season, he is cast as Troy Bolton despite his initial lack of interest in musicals. He is cast as the Beast in the second season and Kristoff in the third season. He plays Troy again in the fourth season. Matt Cornett as E.J. Caswell (seasons 1–3, recurring season 4), Ashlyn's cousin and a jock theater enthusiast Nini previously met at camp. He is cast as Chad Danforth and the understudy for Troy in the first season. He is cast as Gaston in the second season and Sven in the third season while also directing the camp's production of Frozen. After graduating, he returns to play Coach Bolton for the second act of the production in the fourth season. Sofia Wylie as Gina Porter, a transfer student with theater ambitions. She is cast as Taylor McKessie and the understudy for Gabriella in the first season, Babette the Featherduster in the second season, Anna in the third season, and Gabriella Montez in the fourth season. Additionally, she is cast as the lead in High School Musical 4: The Reunion. Larry Saperstein as Big Red (seasons 1–2, guest season 3, recurring season 4), Ricky's best friend, who fills in as stage manager for the production whenever Natalie is unavailable, despite his lack of knowledge about theater. He is later shown to have hidden talents in tap dancing and knowledge of electronics. He auditions for the spring musical in the second season and is cast as Le Fou. Julia Lester as Ashlyn Caswell, E.J.'s cousin and an aspiring songwriter, who is cast as Ms. Darbus in the first season, as Belle in the second season, in the ensemble in the third season, and as Kelsi Nielsen in the fourth season. Dara Reneé as Kourtney Greene, Nini's best friend and a self-proclaimed feminist, who works in the musical's costuming department. She auditions for the musical in the second season and is cast in the role of Mrs. Potts, Elsa in the third season, and Sharpay Evans in the fourth season. Frankie Rodriguez as Carlos Rodriguez, the choreographer of the first two East High productions, who works alongside Miss Jenn and is cast as Lumière in the second season, Olaf in the third season, and Ryan Evans in the fourth season. Mark St. Cyr as Benjamin Mazzara (seasons 1–2, recurring season 4), East High's STEM teacher, who is initially against the school's support of performing arts. He portrays Coach Bolton in the first act of the fourth season's production. Kate Reinders as Miss Jenn (seasons 1–2 and 4, recurring season 3), East High's new drama teacher, who appeared in the original High School Musical film as a background dancer and directs the school's production. She portrays Ms. Darbus in the fourth season's production. Joe Serafini as Seb Matthew-Smith (season 2, recurring seasons 1 and 4, guest season 3), a student who is cast in the role of Sharpay Evans in the first season and as Chip in the second season Saylor Curda as Maddox (season 3, recurring season 4), Jet's sister, a technology enthusiast and long-term camper who attends Camp Shallow Lake as a counselor-in-training, and is the stage manager for the productions in the third and fourth seasons. Adrian Lyles as Jet (season 3, recurring season 4), Maddox's brother, a reluctant new camper at Camp Shallow Lake who is cast as Hans in the camp's production. He is asked to play Chad Danforth in the fourth season. Liamani Segura as Emmy (season 4, recurring season 3), an eighth-grade camper who is a new participant in the musical and cast as Young Anna in the third season. She attends East High as a freshman in the fourth season and portrays Taylor McKessie.
Recurring Alexis Nelis as Natalie Bagley (seasons 1–2, guest season 4), the stage manager for the production Nicole Sullivan as Carol (season 1, guest season 3), one of Nini's mothers Michelle Noh as Dana (season 1, guest season 3), one of Nini's mothers Jeanne Sakata as Malou (season 1), Nini's grandmother Alex Quijano as Mike Bowen (seasons 1–2 and 4), Ricky's father, whose wife is estranged and currently living in Chicago Valente Rodriguez as Principal Gutierrez (seasons 1 and 4), the principal of East High Beth Lacke as Lynne Bowen (season 1, guest seasons 2 and 4), Mike's ex-wife and Ricky's mother who returns to announce she and Mike are getting divorced Napiera Groves Boykin as Terri Porter (season 4, guest season 1), Gina's mother, who works for FEMA Derek Hough as Zack (season 2), Miss Jenn's ex-boyfriend, who teaches drama at North High and is an actor Olivia Rose Keegan as Lily (season 2, guest season 3), a competitive and pretentious new student at East High who misses out on a role in the musical and later transfers to North High. She is cast as Belle in their production Roman Banks as Howie (season 2), a student who works at Big Red's family pizzeria. He is cast as the Beast in North High's production Andrew Barth Feldman as Antoine (season 2, guest season 4), a method actor who poses as a French foreign exchange student at North High. He is cast as Lumière in their production. Kimberly Brooks as Michelle Greene (seasons 2–4), Kourtney's mother Jason Earles as Dewey Wood (season 3, guest season 4), the camp director of Camp Shallow Lake Corbin Bleu as himself (season 3, guest season 4), appearing at Camp Shallow Lake as the host of the documentary. Bleu played Chad Danforth in the original film series. Ben Stillwell as Channing (season 3), a camera operator who films a documentary series about the camp production of Frozen Meg Donnelly as Val (season 3), a college student who returns to the camp as a Counselor-in-Training and is the choreographer of the camp musical Aria Brooks as Alex (season 3), an eighth-grader and newcomer to the camp, who is cast as Young Elsa in the musical Matthew Sato as Mack Alana (season 4), a sitcom actor who is cast as Gina's love interest in High School Musical 4: The Reunion Kylie Cantrall as Dani (season 4), a popular social media personality who is hired to make her acting debut in High School Musical 4: The Reunion, but is fired soon after. She later portrays Tiara Gold in the school's production of High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Caitlin Reilly as Quinn Robbins (season 4), the film director of High School Musical 4: The Reunion
Guest Kaycee Stroh as herself (seasons 1 and 4), a member of the school board. Stroh played Martha Cox in the original film series. Lucas Grabeel as himself (seasons 1 and 4). Grabeel played Ryan Evans in the original film series. Asher Angel as Jack (season 2), a boy from Denver whom Gina befriends at the airport Jordan Fisher as Jamie Porter (season 2), Gina's older brother who is a music producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Marvin (season 3), a friend and former colleague of Nini's mothers whom she meets again while in California, and discovers is her biological father JoJo Siwa as Madison (season 3), a former Camp Shallow Lake attendee who was previously in a relationship with Maddox Monique Coleman as herself (season 4). Coleman played Taylor McKessie in the original film series. Bart Johnson as himself (season 4). Johnson played Coach Bolton in the original film series. Alyson Reed as herself (season 4). Reed played Ms. Darbus in the original film series. Vasthy Mompoint as Krystal (season 4), the stand-offish choreographer of High School Musical 4: The Reunion
Episodes
Production Development