HSMTMTS is a great new Disney+ show

The first season of High School Musical The Musical The Series recreates the original movie over the course of the first season.

With the launch of Disney+, one new series that viewers can enjoy is High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The first season is about a group of students and their drama teacher who put on a production of High School Musical at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, an actual school where all of the original High School Musical was shot.  Because the show creates a musical version of the original movie, the name of the series can seem a bit convoluted, but it is also fun for fans.

The series premiered on November 12, 2019. There are 10 episodes in season one. The creator of this romantic comedy musical is Tim Federle.

If you have not yet watched season one, you need to start today!  The show is amazing. 

There is a new cast which Oliva Rodrigo, as Nini, who is great at singing; Joshua Bassette as Ricky, who is the guitar player.  Matt Cornett plays E.J., who excels at playing the bad/good guy. Sofia Wylie is Gina, an excellent dancer. Larry Saperstein, as Big Red, who takes the friend role to Ricky.  Julia Lester plays Ashlyn, the songwriter. Frankie A. Rodrigez is Carlos, the sassy comedic relief, and Dara Renee plays Kourtney, the friend to Nini.

The reason why this show is amazing is because of the songs.  The great songs from the show include “Just for a Moment” by Oliva Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, “All I want” by Oliva Rodrigo, “Wondering“ by Oliva Rodrigo and Julia Lester, and “I think I Kinda of you Know” by Oliva Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. 

“I think I Kinda of You Know” has a  pattern where the verse first is sung in episode one by Nini, and the second verse is sung by Ricky.  In these songs, the two characters are committing their love to each other. Another standout song is “Just for a moment”, which is about Ricky and Nini’s love for each other.  The songs lead to a romantic relationship between the two characters that they developed throughout the season.

The characters are great, too.  My top three favorite characters are Nini, Ashlyn, and Gina. Nini is my first favorite character because she shows the most emotional growth in the series.  Ashlyn is another standout character who demonstrates real friendship to Nini. And Gina starts the season as a fun villain but turns around by the end of the season.

Because the first season recreates the original High School Musical, there are some throwback songs.  Songs from the original Disney movie include “Get Your Head In the Game”, “The Start of Something New”, “Stick to the Status Quo”, “We Are All in This Together”, “Bob to the Top”, and “Breaking Free”. These songs are exactly the same, but there is just different cast and people who sing this.  They are a fun callback for longtime High School Musical fans.