audrey.tengan

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019

Martha Cox

Martha Cox becomes part of Troy and Gabriella’s friend group at East High. She is in their homeroom class junior year. We get to see her develop as a character through the three movies and by her senior year she is ready to face the world. Martha gains a lot of confidence in herself during her high school years. She is finds ways to express herself that set her character apart.

In High School Musical 1, Martha Cox is introduced as very smart. She is always seen doing her homework and reading. However, she breaks out of her shell during the song “Stick to the Status Quo”. Martha reveals to her friends that she loves to dance and that “sometimes she thinks it’s cooler than homework”. At first, her friends tell her to forget about her passion to dance and stick to what she knows. Martha is able to stand up to them and express herself as a dancer.

During the summer of her senior year, Martha works at Lava Springs Country Club with many of her East High peers. She has a great opportunity to dance with her friends during the staff talent show. Martha and the others have a lot of fun learning a routine and are very excited to perform for the Lava Springs guests. Unfortunately, staff is told they cannot perform anymore and they must work together to change this. In the end, Martha and her friends are able to perform and are awarded first place for the amazing choreography.

In Martha’s senior year she has another opportunity to perform with her peers. This time it is for the Spring Musical. All of the East High Wildcats performing in this show go through lots of ups and downs while rehearsing. However, they overcome all the trials to pull off a great end-of-the-year musical. For Martha, performing in the musical and doing what she loves was a great way to end her high school career.

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Jason Cross

In the HSM series, Jason Cross is part of Troy and Gabriella’s homeroom class. He is also on the East High basketball team and is very close friends with Troy and Chad. He is the jokester of his peers and always seems confused and out-of-the-loop. Throughout his junior and senior years, we see Jason mature a little bit. However, he never looses his fun, care free personality.

In HSM 1, we meet Jason as the kid that falls asleep in class and the kid who asks random questions. We laugh at him and his silliness. He becomes more serious however when he and his teammates find out Troy is trying out for the school’s winter musical. Jason and the rest of the East High basketball team think that Troy should be devoting all of his time and energy into their upcoming championship game, and not singing with some girl. They come up with aplan to stop him from singing which backfires and drives Troy away from them. In the end, Jason and the rest of his peers learn an important lesson that friends should let each other be whoever they want to be. They should encourage, not deter, each other from trying new things and being the best person they can be.

In the summer before Jason’s senior year, he gets a job working with a lot of his East High friends at Sharpay’s parents’ country club. He is assigned to be a waiter along with Troy. When Troy starts getting a lot of attention from Sharpay’s parents and the University of Albuquerque basketball team, Jason and some of his other teammates start feeling left behind. Troy seems to be forgetting them and all of their plans for the summer because he has this awesome opportunity. In the end, Jason and his friends are able to help Troy set his priorities straight and finish out the summer having a great time.

In their senior year, Jason and the rest of his East High classmates are signed up (against their will) for the musical. At first everyone is very hesitant to participate, but in the end they all agree to make it one of their last memories together in high school. Jason has lots of laughs with his friends as they are practicing for the musical, even though he is way outside of his comfort range. At the end of the musical, all of the seniors step forward with their diplomas. None seem as happy as Jason to be graduating.

April 29, 2019

Zeke Baker

Zeke Baker is part of the East High Wildcats basketball team. He is good friends with Troy and Chad. Throughout the High School Musical series we see him branching out and revealing more of who he is. He is a very good example of someone who can be themselves without worrying about what his friends and other people think about him. Zeke is not afraid to be himself and do what he loves.

In HSM 1, Zeke hasn’t yet expressed his love for baking. However, when Troy confesses that he has become a singer and is auditioning for the school’s musical, Zeke gains the courage to tell his peers that he bakes. At first his friends take this as a joke. By the end of the movie however, Zeke becomes accepted as a baker by his friends.

During the summer before Zeke’s senior year, he gets the job as assistant to the head chef at Lava Springs Country Club. Zeke is very excited for this opportunity and is also very pleased because he gets to see a lot of Sharpay, his crush. Zeke constantly tries to impress her but unfortunately is not very successful. Zeke has a really fun time performing with his fellow Wildcats during the Lava Springs Talent Show.

In Zeke’s senior year, he and the Wildcats bsketball team were able to pull together and win the championship. He is still trying to impress Sharpay and she finally notices and goes to prom with him. Zeke participates in the East High Musical with a lot of his friends. He has a super fun time being with all his classmates one last time before they graduate. Zeke ends HSM 3 with a huge smile and diploma!

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019

Jimmie Zara

Jimmie Zara, a.k.a. “The Rocket Man”, is only in the third and final high school musical. He is a bench warmer on the basketball team. He looks up to Troy, Chad, and the rest of the seniors. As Troy and the seniors are finishing up their final season, Jimmie is preparing to “take over” the team. However, Troy and Chad want Jimmie to earn this.

During the championship game the Wildcats are down one point with only time for one more possession. The other team knows that Troy is going to be the one to shoot the last shot so they triple team him. Troy wants Rocket Man in the game because the other team will never expect him to take the final shot. Troy’s plan works and Rocket Man wins the championship game for the Wildcats! This boosts Jimmie’s confidence and makes him think more about his roll on the team once Troy has gone to college.

When Jimmie and his other friend ask for Troy and Chad’s basketball lockers in the locker room, Troy and Chad are happy to give the lockers to them. However, they want them to earn them. So, while Jimmie and his friend are in the shower, Troy and Chad steal their clothes and Jimmie has to chase them all around the school to get them back. This is very humiliating for them, but ultimately they get the lockers and know that it was all just a joke.

While the Wildcats are working on the Senior Year Musical, Rocket Man is assigned to be Troy’s understudy. He doesn’t really know what this means but someone tells him that the understudy never has to go in. Because of this Jimmie doesn’t take it very seriously. However, when Troy and Gabriella are late to the musical Jimmie is called to go in with Sharpay (Gabriella’s understudy). He is not very good, but he enjoys himself while he is preforming. Eventually, Troy and Gabriella come in the save the day.

In the end, Jimmie is a character that shows a lot of growth throughout the movie. He starts out as a pretty shy highschooler and throughout the year he gains a lot of confidence. We can see him shape into a personality that is similar to Troy’s and know that he will be very successful and popular in his final years at East High.

March 18, 2019

Kelsi Nielsen

In HSM Kelsi is the nerdy girl that isn’t very popular. She is a musical artist and is choreographing all the music for the Spring Musical. In the first HSM Kelsi is pushed around by Sharpay in the beginning. She is very shy and not very confident in her music. Throughout the first HSM we see Kelsi gain some confidence with the help of Troy and Gabriella. In the end, Kelsi grows a lot and becomes more outgoing.

In the second HSM Kelsi gets a job at Sharpay’s parent’s country club as a pianist. She and Ryan Evens have a great time planning a number for the country club’s talent show for their peers. However, when the staff is told that they are not allowed to participate in the talent show, Kelsi helps figure out a solution and in the end all the staff does a number and has a great time.

In Kelsi’s senior year she is nominated for a scholarship to the Julliard School of the Performing Arts. She and Ryan again work together to choreograph the Senior Year Musical. Kelsi and Ryan go to the prom together and help their friends have a very enjoyable senior year. Kelsi is given the scholarship to Julliard and is very excited for the new opportunities and adventures that are in store for her.

February 25, 2019February 25, 2019

High School Musical 1 Review

High School Musical 1 is the first movie in a three movie series. It was released on January 20, 2006 and become Disney Channel’s most successful original movie. It was the first Disney Channel Original Movie to have a theatrical sequel. The soundtrack from High School Musical 1 became very popular in the United States and reached number 1 on America’s charts in 2006. High School Musical 1 was written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. It stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Lucas Grabeel, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman.

In High School Musical 1 Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) transfers to East High School after winter break. She had met the basketball team star (Zac Efron) during vacation and is surprised, and happy to run into him at her new high school. They quickly become friends and try out for their school’s musical. However, Troy’s teammates aren’t thrilled with his new hobby. Troy’s best friend (Corbin Bleu) and Gabriella’s best friend (Monique Coleman) come up with a plan to make sure can’t be in the musical. Unfortunately, this ruins all of their friendships and they must work together to make things right.

Gabriella Montez is very bright. She is also very adventurous and open to trying newthings. Troy Bolton is the basketball star. He is always found playing basketball until he meets Gabriella. She opens him up and shows us a different side of him. Chad Danforth is the funny sidekick. He always makes us laugh and seems fun to be around. Taylor McKessie is also very smart and is the president of the academic decathlon. She is a very good friend to Gabriella. Sharpay Evens is bossy and rich. She feels like she runs the school and isn’t very friendly to many people. Ryan Evens is Sharpay’s brother he is always following her around and at times seems very clueless to what’s going on.

High School Musical is mainly about friendship. In the movie we see how friends can be torn apart and how that changes the people individually. A theme from High School Musical is nothing is more important than friendship. In the movie when Troy and Gabriella are mad at each other they are both very sad. Even though Taylor and Chad’s plan worked, neither of them are happy to see their best friends so miserable. In the end they realize that what they wanted (Troy and Gabriella not to be in the musical) wasn’t what their friends wanted. Taylor and Chad decide that it is more important for Troy and Gabriella to be happy and friends again than it is if they sing in the musical or if they don’t.

Overall I think High School Musical is a great movie. It is definitely a feel-good one. All the songs and fun characters always leave you walking away with a smile. The songs are really what makes the movie so great. Once you have watched the movie a couple of times you find yourself singing along with every single song. I think this is what makes this movie so enjoyable and easy to watch over and over again.

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019

Ms. Darbus

Ms. Darbus is the theatre teacher at East High and is also Gabrialla and Troy’s homeroom teacher. In the first HSM, she is the one that recognizes the talent that Gabriella and Troy have. Ms. Darbus instructs Kelsey to mentor them and teach them the song thatthey sing at their call backs. Ms. Darbus is kind of under the control of Sharpay because Sharpay has always been very involved in the drama club. Ms. Darbus is tricked by Sharpay to change the day of the call back to the day of the basketball championship and the academic decathlon. Despite this, Troy and Gabriella able to make it to the call back and nail their song.

Ms. Darbus first sees Troy as a basketball jock. She doesn’t realize that he actually has a hidden passion for the theatre. In the first HSM, Ms. Darbus gives Troy and Chad detention and forces them to decorate props for the drama club. This is one of the first times Troy has been exposed to something other than basketball. This changes him and he is open to new experiences. Ms. Darbus was the one that introduced him to theatre and because of this I think Ms. Darbus is very important in the development of Troy throughout the HSM movies.

In the third HSM, there is an opportunity for one student at East High to receive a scholarship to the Julliard School of Performing Arts. In order to be offered this scholarship the students have to apply. Ryan, Sharpay, Kelsey, and Troy are all informed that they will be given a shot at the scholarship. This confuses Troy because he didn’t submit an application. This really makes Troy think and question his future and what he wants to do. At the end of the third movie, Troy goes to East High late at night to release all of his thoughts and confusion. Here he finds Ms. Darbus. She explains to him that she submitted his application to Julliard because she saw how much theatre filled him up. Although Troy doesn’t go to Julliard, he picks a college where he can do theatre and play basketball. This is thanks to Ms. Darbus.

December 18, 2018

Jack Bolton (Coach Bolton)

In the High School Musicals, Jack Bolton is known as Troy’s dad and the basketball coach at East High. He is very hard on Troy and knows what he is capable of and what Troy needs to do to accomplish his goals. However, Coach Bolton is faced with a challenge when his son decides that he likes to sing. Jack sees this new hobby as a distraction for Troy and Troy’s hopes to get a basketball college scholarship.

In the first HSM, Troy misses a basketball practice to audition for the Winter Musical. This is when Jack first hears about Troy’s new hobby. He notices that Troy seems distracted and not fully concentration on basketball. Coach Bolton also thinks that Gabriella is a hindrance of Troy accomplishing all he should be able to accomplish in that basketball season. Coach Bolton tries persuade Troy to not be in the musical.

However, during their championship game Troy and Gabriella cause a diversion so they are able to go to their call backs for the musical. Coach Bolton comes in to see them singing together. He sees his son so passionate and comfortable on stage. He never expected to see this and has a new view on Gabriella and Troy’s singing. Jack sees that Troy is happy with Gabriella and realizes that Troy is very talented in something other than basketball.

Coach Bolton now really likes Gabriella and is okay with Troy singing with her. He now knows that it’s alright to have multiple focuses in life. He doesn’t think his son should do only basketball. He is more supportive of Troy and his hobbies. He is still hard on Troy when it comes to basketball and wants to see him succeed, but he understands that his son doesn’t only play basketball: he is a singer and performer too.

Jack Bolton still wants to see Troy do really good things in basketball. Most of all, he wants to see his son go to his alma mater to play basketball. However, Troy chooses to go to a college where he can play basketball and perform. This is hard for Coach Bolton to accept, but he is able to be happy for Troy and support him in his decision.

November 30, 2018

Taylor McKessie

In High School Musical 1 Taylor McKessie becomes Gabriella’s best friend. When Gabriella first comes to East High, Taylor immediately tries to get Gabriella to join her academic decathlon. However, this gets in the way of their friendship when she and Chad try to get in between Troy and Gabriella. Taylor becomes self centered and doesn’t think of Troy and Gabriella’s feelings. In the end of the movie, Taylor is able to realize this and repair her and Gabriella’s friendship. In addition, she and Chad start to like each other.

In the summer of their senior year, Taylor and many of the other Wildcats get a summer job at Lava Springs. Taylor becomes in charge of the schedules but is afraid of the boss who is intimidating. When he makes an announcement that staff is not allowed to perform in the staff talent show, she is able to help the rest of the her peers perform and have a great time.

Senior year comes with lots of excitement. Senior prom is coming up and the East High Musical. Taylor and the rest of her friends get involved and start planning a great musical. At the same time, Chad is trying to get the courage to ask Taylor to the prom. She is giving him a hard time while he is trying to ask her. Taylor finally says yes and they have a great time together a prom. The Wildcats have a great end of the year and are all very excited for their futures. After graduating, Taylor attends Yale University.

November 9, 2018

Ryan Evans

Ryan Evens is most commonly know as Sharpay’s twin brother. While his sister is kind of snotty, and a little difficult to be around, Ryan is more easy-going and friendly. In the first HSM, Ryan is in Sharpay’s spotlight and doesn’t quite know how to change that. However, as he progresses into senior year, Ryan is able to find his own spotlight and become more confident in himself.

In HSM 1, Ryan is seen as a fun-loving character who is often bossed around by his sister, Sharpay. He and Sharpay try out for the winter musical for the lead roles. Ryan is upset when they have to go to call backs, but not as upset as Sharpay. She ropes him into plotting against Troy and Gabriella and in the end he realizes that it’s not all about getting what you want. He doesn’t think it’s right to hurt people to get your own way.

In the summer before his senior year, Ryan really starts to break away from his sister’s bossiness. He helps his classmates with the talent show when Sharpay replaces him with Troy for her duet. Ryan ends up having a great time hanging out with his peers and is really upset when Sharpay makes it so that staff cannot perform in the show. Ryan sees very clearly how his sister can be very selfish and doesn’t consider other people’s feelings. He ends up helping fix the problem and is seen as a sort of hero in the eyes of his fellow Wildcats.

In Ryan’s senior year, he really starts branching out and becoming more confident in his choreography. He choreographs the East High Senior Year musical. He works very hard to make a great show and is able to produce something that everyone loves. Ryan gets a scholarship to the Julliard School of Performing Arts. Sharpay is very proud of him and he feels very supported by his sister. He and the other Wildcats have a great year ending with their graduation where they are all very happy and excited for what’s in store for them.