In High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a group of East High teens put on a musical production of the original High School Musical- a meta Disney romantic comedy of the late 2010s. The musical mockumentary was a big hit in 2019 and not only among High School Musical fans. Upon its release, the show was picked up for a second season, which is expected to air May 14th.
In Season 2, the gang is prepping for their new musical production of Beauty and the Beast. They’ve entered a high school theater competition with the Alan Menken Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater, in which they’ll compete with their rival high school North High. Nini and Ricky, the teen couple who were cast as Gabriella and Troy in season one, have been struggling since Nini switched high schools. Not only is the long distance straining their relationship, a budding love triangle interferes with their wholesome romance. The drama! Here are 10 things we know about season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
10 Season 2 Begins Right Around The Holidays
More than a year since the finale first aired on Disney+, season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will finally return to the streaming platform next month. This season will take place around the holidays, with this generation’s Wildcats resuming where they left off.
9 Derek Hough Is Guest-Starring As Miss Jenn's Ex-Boyfriend
The new North High drama teacher, and ex-boyfriend of Miss Jenn, is played by Dancing With The Stars celeb, Derek Hough. While known as a professional dancer, Hough has the acting chops to star in the musical series due to his experience as a trained Broadway actor, and he's guest starred on several shows, such as Jane The Virgin and Nashville.
8 East High Will Not Be Doing 'High School Musical 2' For Their Spring Musical
Contrary to audience expectations, East High won’t be performing High School Musical 2 as their theater production this year. Instead, they’ll be training for the Beauty and the Beast musical in order to compete in the Alan Menken Awards Competition. Sadly, High School Musical’s iconic songs, such as "Fabulous" and "Bet On It," may not appear in the upcoming season.
7 Nini Will Be Attending A Youth Actors Conservatory
Nini’s dream to attend the Youth Actor’s Conservatory manifests in Season 2, making the choice to transfer from East High to the prestigious performing arts school. It’s unclear how she’ll manage to stay connected to the rest of the drama club, but there are a few scenes of her chatting to Ricky on Facetime in the newly released trailer.
6 Olivia Rose Keegan Plays The Blonde Who Tries To Interfere In Ricky And Nini's Relationship
Not only is the entire premise of the show a work of meta-fiction, but so is Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Driver’s License.” Rodrigo, the actress who plays Nini, released a record-breaking pop song detailing her heartbreak after the demise of her romance with leading co-star, Joshua Bassett.
In the song, she mentions a “blonde girl” who her ex-lover is currently seeing. Interestingly, Joshua Bassett’s character in the series enters a love triangle with Rodrigo’s character and a blonde actress. The parallels hooked High School Musical fans as soon as the trailer dropped.
5 Carlos Is Cast As Lumière In 'Beauty And The Beast'
One of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ fan-favorite’s is the character Carlos, who’s played by Frankie A. Rodriguez. Carlos is the choreographer of the drama club, as well as Miss Jenn’s right hand man.
As seen in the latest trailer of season 2, Carlos is cast as Lumière in their production of Beauty and the Beast. Fans online are shipping his character with Seb, another gay character who originally auditioned as Sharpay in season one. Their on-screen chemistry has garnered a lot of attention online, instigating a Twitter campaign for pairing on the show.
4 The Entire Cast Is Back With A Few Welcome Additions
Along with the rest of the cast from season one, season two will feature a couple of new faces who you might recognize from such shows as Dear Evan Hansen, Shazam!, and Days of our Lives. Disney+ recently confirmed that Andrew Barth Feldman, Roman Banks, and Olivia Rose Keegan will join the crew while they prepare for their Alan Menken competition.
3 More Original Songs Will Be In The Soundtrack
Though the High School Musical soundtrack is a classic, the choice to include several original songs in the High School Musical series distinguishes it from the original material. Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo wrote and performed several original songs in season one, including TikTok favorite “All I Want.” It looks like season two will include their creative genius once again.
2 The Drama Club Has Been Restored And Even Has Its Own Instagram Page
Despite the drama club being burned down in season one, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special that aired in December 2020 revealed that the drama club has thankfully been restored. The holiday-themed original song, “Something in the Air,” also reveals that the drama club has their own Instagram page.
1 The Series Is Only Available To Watch On Disney+
For those anticipating season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, it would behoove you to renew your Disney+ membership. Because it’s a Disney+ original, it isn’t possible to stream the show anywhere else. Neither Hulu, Netflix, nor HBO will host the show.