High School Musical's 10th Anniversary

WHAT TEAM?

Today, January 20, 2016, marks the 10 year anniversary of the Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical. I seriously can’t believe it has been 10 years since this movie first aired. This movie, and its two sequels, were huge staples of my childhood.

I like to think of the High School Musical trilogy as the Grease of this generation. The basic premise is the same and they both take place in a high school setting. I actually have High School Musical to thank for my exposure to Grease and Grease 2. While the attempt at continuing the story Grease was not a huge success (though I absolutely love Grease 2!), the HSM trilogy was a roaring success that has left a huge legacy and still resonates with fans.

I am so happy that the core cast, with the exception of Zac Efron, will be coming back together for a reunion tonight during a special airing of the movie. They have all grown so much in these last 10 years, so seeing them reunited is really nostalgic. HSM is also nostalgic in itself because it represents when Disney Channel was great. The DCOMs used to be special and meaningful, like HSM, but they have lost this touch. I see potential in Descendants, but I think this is attributed to it also being from the great mind of Kenny Ortega. Kenny Ortega is one of those directors that greatly cares about his actors and makes them feel like they are a part of something special. I think this attitude is partially why the core cast has remained in touch and was willing to do this reunion.

As a young elementary student when HSM aired, I was blown away by this movie. I am still blown away by how wonderful of a production this is for only being a TV movie with a small budget. For as pleased as I am with this movie, it did give me false expectations for my high school experience. Something I absolutely love about the phenomenon that is High School Musical is that you can scream “What team?” into a crowd of people and at least one person will scream back “Wildcats!” This franchise turned a generation of kids into a family and that still holds true.

A few years ago, a hoax went around online about a fourth installment of the franchise titled ‘High School Musical 4: College Years’ with a logo of white lettering and a grassy background. This sent people buzzing about the idea of seeing further into the lives of these beloved characters. When this was confirmed to be a hoax, I didn’t know how to feel. I think another movie would be great, but I also think it could potentially hurt the magic of the first three. It is a very successful trilogy and I think it should remain as such. I look very forward to the reunion tonight.

WILDCATS!