It’s hard to believe that almost 20 years ago, High school musical was created and made Disney Channel history.
High school musical, which took place from 2006 to 2008followed Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), two teenagers from completely different classes, who bond over their love of music. Their love story serves as the backdrop for the film series while their friends take part in the school musical.
The moment
Who would have thought that a meet cute between teenage basketball player Troy Bolton and studious transfer Gabriella would result in two decades of music, memes and memories?
Premiered on January 20, 2006, High school musical began as Disney Channel’s attempt to replicate the success of The Cheetah Girls, but turned into a celebration of nonconformity through the lens of teenagers on the brink of adulthood.
And we all have that one HSM song that we can’t get out of our heads, whether it’s “Start of Something New,” “Get’cha Head in the Game” or “We’re All in This Together.”
High School Musical took over 7.7 million television screens in the United States when it premiered in 2006, making it the highest-rated Disney Channel Original Movie at the time. The film follows basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and a smart transfer student, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), as they break the status quo at East High. […]
Who was involved
HSM — filmed at East High School in Salt Lake Citywhich became Albuquerque’s East High School on screen – featured every school clique imaginable. In addition to Troy and Gabriella, whose desire to perform in the school musical led to all sorts of romantic obstacles, there was jock Chad (Corbin Bleu); the drama club pioneer twins, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan (Lucas Grabeel); and the brilliant Taylor (Monica Coleman).
Thanks to HSMthe actors have become household names! In fact, Efron once revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that tribesmen in Papua New Guinea, during his crocodile-catching excursion, asked him to FaceTime their cousins and wives.
Why we remember
Bart Johnsonaka Efron’s on-screen father, Coach Bolton, and host of the podcast “Get Your Head in the Game” (a spin-off of “Magical Rewind”), credits the writers and director/choreographer extraordinaire. Kenny Orega to perfectly sum up the coming-of-age experience.
“It’s all over-the-top and extreme, but the message is very grounded and real,” Johnson notes to Us. “It resonates with people. It’s part of the magic.”
Key details
Coleman – who was 25 when HSM made his debut, compared to the 17-22 years of his comrades – says We they considered her a “big sister” figure.
“I’m not going to say who, what or where, but I was in the car with people the first time they were able to drive with an adult in the vehicle. [vehicle]. I would be the one. They said, ‘Mo, you’re going,'” she recalls. “People have lost their virginity. All kinds of things [were] event. And I was like, “Oh, my God, talk to your parents.” »
The consequences
HSM broke Disney Channel records, took the soundtrack to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and ushered in sequels, spinoffs, and even cast tours. In 2007, Musical High School 2 offered a change of scenery (summer at the country club!) and a subtle cameo from Miley Cyrusand in 2008, High School Musical 3: secondary year moved to a theatrical release.
Meanwhile, Tisdale directed a 2011 spinoff film, Sharpay’s fabulous adventurewith the future Golden Globe winner Austin Butler.
According to Johnson, “I think there are three scripts written for High School Musical 4. One was a West Side Story type movie where it was East versus West.”
And from 2019 to 2023, High School Musical: The Musical: The Seriess – yes, about a production of HSM – dominated Disney+ and served as a launching pad for the singer Olivia Rodrigo.
The High School Musical love story between Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez sparked an off-screen romance for the actors who played them. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, who played Troy and Gabriella in the 2006 DCOM, notably began dating shortly after filming the first film. The couple decided to separate in 2010 after five years of […]
A new perspective
The trilogy paved the way for Disney Channel to take more storytelling risks, while HSM’s stars were given the chance to branch out.
The question on everyone’s mind: what are the chances of a revival of HSM? “I feel like we’ve already done this,” Tisdale tells us, admitting she hasn’t seen most of her colleagues “in a while.” Yet, once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat?
Where are they now?
Efron’s career has included raunchy comedies, a critically acclaimed performance in The iron claw and a recent role in the audience to support his brother Dylan Efron on Dancing with the stars. Hudgens became a Christmas queen on Netflix and just welcomed her second child in November while other former castmates, such as Tisdale, became parents. In January 2026, Tisdale made headlines after writing an essay about an argument she had with her mothers group, which many suspected was referring to Hilary Duff (including Disney’s own franchise Lizzie McGuire celebrates its 25th anniversary this month).
