Graduation is barely a consideration for the students at East High School.
With the spring musical just around the corner -- and a reunion of the original cast of “High School Musical” on the books -- they don’t have time to worry about mortarboards and colleges.
In the final season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” the OG Wildcats return to the school where they filmed the original hit. As an incentive, current students can be cast as extras.
That means Ricky (Joshua Bassett), Gina (Sofia Wylie), Carlos (Frankie Rodriguez) and Ashlyn (Julia Lester) are jockeying for position. Never mind that Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) is staging ANOTHER high school musical show in the theater.
When Gina discovers the star is none other than her childhood crush, she’s all in. That puts a wedge in her relationship with Ricky and stirs up plenty of concern among the faithful.
Even better, there’s a Hollywood director (Caitlin Reilly) who runs a tight ship and doesn’t want any part of the high school nonsense -- she has a big-budget film to worry about.
Throughout the course of the final eight episodes, creator Tim Federle and his team give plenty of curtain calls. In addition to some of the stars of the original “High School Musical,” this year’s farewell brings back characters from three previous seasons. Much of the show’s fun is seeing how they work their way in.
Original "High School Musical" stars appear on "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." From left, Lucas Grabeel, Kaycee Stroh, Monique…
Joshua Bassett stars as Ricky on "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." The series helped launch his music career, as it did Grammy w…
Sofia Wylie and Joshua Bassett play a romantic couple in "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." But in the fourth season, outsiders t…
Caitlyn Reilly
Naturally, there are those “say what?” moments when decisions have to be made on the fly and people have to fill in like they’ve been preparing for years. Bassett and Wylie get a number of good songs and a post-credits moment that will make you weep.
When “HSM:TM:TS” kicks off, Ricky and Gina are about to let others know they’re a couple. Then things get in the way and they stall -- even though he sneaks in her room through an upstairs window. Both have rivals who are playing leads in the film. Both have reason to worry.
And, then, there’s Ashlynn and her love for someone who isn’t Big Red (Larry Saperstein). She wants to act on her feelings but her concern for him holds her back. Carlos is angsty about his relationship with Seb (Joe Serafini) and Miss Jenn is having second thoughts about her boyfriend (who just happens to be Ricky’s dad). The twists and turns are plentiful this season -- just enough to make loyal viewers shocked at how the series manages to fit everything (and everyone) in.
Kourtney (Dara Renee) has a different path -- she’s actually worried about what she’s going to do after high school. She gets a look at the outside world and finds a mentor in one of those original “High School Musical” stars.
While some of the antics look a little juvenile (considering the journeys the kids have been on), they quickly get brushed aside when Quinn, the director, turns up. Reilly is so good at playing a Hollywood type she should have another season just to offer up all the show biz tropes. She’s a hoot (watch her YouTube videos as a primer) and a great leveler for the starry-eyed high schoolers.
When the final curtain comes down, it’s clear this class of theater students will move on to other, better things. They got a great education and incredible support from those around them. Tears, obviously, result. But, what’s more important, is the lesson they’ve taught viewers. High school isn’t just something you tolerate. It’s the springboard to just about everything.
“HSM:TM:TS” airs Aug. 9 on Disney.
The Journal's Top Stories for the Week of July 23, 2023
