Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, and more also starred.
It originally aired on Disney Channel, and led to a second TV movie for the online grid.
Its third film,High School Musical 3: Senior Year,was released theatrically.
Credit: Fred Hayes/Disney Channel
We had a meeting with Gary Marsh, the president of Disney Channel.
I was looking to get behind the camera.
I wanted to work again in full-length.
I thought Wow, this could develop into something really quite charming.
I want to do this.
How do we get started?
The rest became our history.
Speaking of, what was your experience like working as both a director and choreographer on the first film?
On the director side, having a great A.D., a great A.V.
team and all those folks behind the director that kept me organized and enabled me to stay focused.
Again, Disney Channel has always been really good from the very beginning in enabling me a strong team.
You had a pretty strong team in your actors as well.
What did they bring to the film?
We knew before we started day one of rehearsal that we had an incredible rat pack.
We knew that these kids had the potential to really create some thunder.
There was no doubt because I had put them through what was more like a Broadway audition.
They were in and out and in and out, and theyre agents were going crazy.
We had such a good time working together.
They were inspired, real players.
They came to work everyday with ideas.
Ashley and Lucas always had the set in hysterics.
They were all participants, real partners.
They made it possible to aspire and to work at the capacity that I did.
Do you have any particularly memorable moments from your time on set?
Youve exceeded our expectations.
We were putting together these musical numbers in a day, and the finale in less than two.
Do you have a favorite song-and-dance number fromHigh School Musical, or the sequels?
QUIZ:Which East High clique fromHigh School Musicalwould you belong to?
Im really proud of it.
What is it about these films specifically that you think resonated with viewers?
You selected them because of their talents.
You allow them their way of working.
Theres something else present and I think that it isnt the language.
It was relevant and young people connected to it everywhere.
Did you have any idea that these films would take off in the way they did?
I did, and I dont say that with any arrogance.
I said, I feel something here and I have a feeling that were going to be back.
Monique loves to remember that story.
I felt like we had delivered.
Thats a crazy story, but I guess sometimes you just have that feeling.
Well yeah, there was magic in the air.
The chemistry that these kids had, it was unbelievable!
They were a family from day one.
Youd say, Ok, everyone is on a break.
They had this incredible friendship in life.
They really loved one another, so that was there, that was in the work.
I think kids identified with that.
Lives did certainly change, like you predicted.
What do you think of where the cast is now?
Im so proud of all of them.
Theyre all working, and theyre all enjoying their lives.
Corbin is going to be married, and hes been on Broadway.
Im very proud and happy for all of them.
You have to have it on paper.
There has to be something there that stimulates the work.
I look back at it with great fondness.
Do you have any lingering thoughts?
Im hoping that were going to spend some quality time with each other.
Also, to the fans ofHigh School Musical, they havent quit us.
They want a fourth [movie] so desperately.
Ive met them in life all over the world.
Its a little crazy to believe.
Is there a chance that there could be another one?
Certainly not with the original cast, but hopefully down the road theres a new generation ofHigh School Musical.
Wouldnt that be fun?
