Disneys High School Musical
phenomenon leaps onto the big
screen in High School Musical 3:
Senior Year, in which the worlds
favorite high school students (ZAC
EFRON, VANESSA HUDGENS,
ASHLEY TISDALE, LUCAS
GRABEEL, CORBIN BLEU and
MONIQUE COLEMAN) hit senior
year. Amidst a basketball championship,
prom and a big spring musical
featuring all of the Wildcats, Troy
and Gabriella vow to make every moment last as their lifelong college dreams put the future
of their relationship in question. A crew of sophomore Wildcats (MATT PROKOP, JUSTIN
MARTIN, JEMMA MCKENZIE-BROWN) joins in the fun as the films incredible new music
and exciting dance numbers take maximum advantage of the big screen.
Other actors reprising their roles from the first two Disney Channel movies include
OLESYA RULIN, CHRIS WARREN JR., RYNE SANBORN, KAYCEE STROH, BART
JOHNSON and ALYSON REED.
Walt Disney Pictures presents High School Musical 3: Senior Year, directed and
choreographed by Emmy Award®-winning Kenny Ortega. Ortega, who helmed the first two
films for Disney Channel, also adds new duties as executive producer. High School Musical
3: Senior Year is produced by Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush; Don Schain serves as coproducer.
Peter Barsocchini, veteran HSM writer, penned the screenplay.
Behind-the-scenes talent includes director of photography Daniel Aranyó (Disney
Channels High School Musical 2, The Cheetah Girls 2), production designer Mark
Hofeling (High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Minutemen), editor Don
Brochu (The American Mall, The Fugitive), and costume designer Caroline B. Marx
(The Killing Room, TVs Gilmore Girls). Director Ortega shares choreographer duties
with Charles Chucky Klapow and Bonnie Story—the three earned an Outstanding
Choreography Emmy® for High School Musical. Composer David Lawrence and music
supervisor Steven Vincent also return. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributes.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
BIRTH OF AN ENTERTAINMENT PHENOMENON
An AHA Moment Kids Really Do Love Musicals
The phenomenon of High School Musical started out as an idea in producer Bill Bordens
living room. I wanted to make a musical that I could sit down and watch with my kids. It was
that simple, says Borden.
Although the musical had seen somewhat of a revival with the success of adult fare such as
Moulin Rouge! and Chicago, no one was making musicals for the teen audience. Bill and
I are true believers in this particular genre—the musical for teens, says Bordens producing
partner Barry Rosenbush. With the first movie, we werent trying to invent the wheelwe
were trying to reintroduce the wheel.
Movie history is filled with musical comedy for teens, continues Rosenbush. The
movies back in the 30s and 40s, the movies that we grew to love—Westside Story, The
Sound of Music, and later Grease—were all for young people.
Borden and Rosenbush were already working with writer Peter Barsocchini on another
project when the idea for High School Musical gained momentum; they tapped him to write
the screenplay.
They said they were doing a Disney project that involved music and sports, says
Barsocchini. The world of music and sports was familiar to me—I played basketball during
my youth and I was a music critic in the late 60s in San Francisco.
Multi-talented director/choreographer Kenny Ortega then joined the trio to bring this
musical idea to the small screen. Kenny has many unique talents which make him a really
fantastic director, says Borden. He is a musician. Hes a great dancer. Hes a choreographer.
Hes an actor. He really does mold the screenplay. He can take a concept and make it come
alive in a musical like no other person in the world. Kenny really is an amazing force of
nature.
All Ive ever tried to do here with High School Musicalwas to enjoy telling a story from
a musical point of view in a lighthearted
and joyful way without
having an overly complicated story
and overly complicated characters,
says Ortega. I just try to bring it to
life with as much fun and joy and
color and excitement as possible.
Tags: high school musical senior year disney zac efron corbin bleu ashley tisdale vanessa hudgins kenny ortega
