The Journal’s Bruce Miller talks to Tim Federle, Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."
Disney’s successful high school formula usually takes a twist in season two. Summer jobs? Summer camp? Summer romance?
The formula is in play in the third season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” the mockumentary version of the popular Disney Channel franchise. This time out, East High students are headed to Camp Shallow Lake – a theater camp, naturally – where E.J. (Matt Cornett) is a counselor and the show they’re doing hasn’t been released to high schools.
Even better? Corbin Bleu, one of the stars of the original, is filming a documentary about the camp.
Can you say, “meta”?
There are so many winks and nods in this edition you’ll wonder who else could turn up. Several stars do, but first E.J. has to get the gang into the idea of going to camp. Kourtney (Dara Renee) and Carlos (Frankie A. Rodriguez) aren’t buying what he’s selling (“Best. Summer. Ever.”); Ricky (Joshua Bassett) is spending time with a new girlfriend; Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) is pursuing her music career, and Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) is going on a cruise.
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Who’s left? Well, there’s a relationship between E.J. and Gina (Sofia Wylie) that could move to a front burner. Hot off her success as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” Ashlyn (Julia Lester) is looking to claim more big parts. And several outsiders – part of the Shallow Lake talent pool -- could be just the competition the Wildcats need to sharpen their claws.
The camp has all the drawbacks a theater kid could latch onto and that convoluted relationship to the first “High School Musical.” Bleu totally leans into the concept and promises the students they’ll get signed head shots on one of his visits.
Because it takes a snarkier view of the world (Carlos gets the best lines), “HSM:TM:TS” has great adult appeal. It also boasts a lot of solo numbers, presumably because COVID concerns limited the number of big song-and-dance routines.
Bassett, one of the best in a very excellent bunch, gets a rousing “breaking free” anthem that he sings (spoiler alert) on the way to joining the others at camp. Lester has a nice turn, too, but it’s two newcomers (Saylor Bell and Adrian Lyles) who blow the roof off The Barn.
Created by Tim Federle, “HSM:TM:TS” could easily aim for a more adult audience and win big points. Even the asides (the boys call their bunk “The Yurt Locker”) seem designed for a more enlightened crowd. Kids, though, should warm to its many messages of acceptance.
It isn’t a huge twist on the summer formula, but it does have enough variety to suggest this season could produce a couple more breakout stars. Watch closely and an even bigger game is figuring out who will come back to visit a decade from now.
The characters have a fun, running bit about Zac Efron but he’s a big enough star who can take anything.
Ditto: Bleu, who puts the “mock” into mockumentary.
The third season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is now airing on Disney+.
