High School Musical premiered on the Disney Channel 20 years ago, on January 20, 2006. To celebrate, Dance Spirit is speaking with some of the films’ key dance figures to examine HSM’s impact on dance and pop culture at large. Next up is a Q&A with Lucas Grabeel, who played the unforgettable role of musical theater guru Ryan Evans.
When Lucas Grabeel joins the Dance Spirit Zoom meeting, he’s donning a classic newsboy cap. It’s the kind of accessory that Ryan Evans, Grabeel’s High School Musical character, would wear with pride. Grabeel, who sports headwear on the regular (“I’ve always loved hats!”), also takes a moment to text HSM director Kenny Ortega and co-star Ashley Tisdale-French (Sharpay Evans); he’s organizing a cast-reunion dinner.
In short: Grabeel is still very much in touch with his inner Ryan. For the former musical theater kid, HSM was a watershed moment in his career that brought him back to dance and created a safe space in which he could thrive. Now, two decades later, he continues to marvel at the films’ far reach and relevance.
It’s been 20 years since HSM premiered. How does that feel?
Nothing about this ever feels normal. Seeing kids dress up as us, and the countless videos I’ve seen on social media, of people of all ages dancing our numbers and singing our songs—it’s always gonna feel magical, and not really like my life.
From left: Ashley Tisdale-French and Lucas Grabeel in High School Musical. Photo by Fred Hayes, courtesy Disney.
What do you remember about first getting involved?
It started like any other audition. But the moment I knew it was something special was the final callback. It was handled much like a Broadway audition. There were, like, 50 of us just for Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, and Sharpay. We were in one little room, going group by group, singing and dancing. As the hours went by, the numbers dwindled, and it was nerve-racking—hearing Kenny set everything up, and seeing Chucky Klapow bring forth this crazy choreography. Now, Chucky is my brother forever.
Dancing with those people and having that energy, that anticipation—I’d auditioned for many other Disney Channel gigs before, but this was different.
What was your dance experience before HSM?
I showed up to my first dance rehearsal when I was 13 in football pads because I had come straight from football practice. I was a bit of a Troy growing up. I was very sporty, and when theater came along, I was like, “This is where I belong.”
I loved to dance, but it took me a minute to get the coordination and the choreography in my body. From 13 to 18, I danced in classes, high school musicals, community-theater productions, you name it. I moved to L.A. for film and TV, and by the time HSM came along, it had been almost three years since I’d danced. So I was very nervous, but that’s where the magic started.
What kind of magic?
My first dance rehearsal was with Ashley for “Bop to the Top.” (Choreographers) Chucky, Bonnie (Story), and Kenny said, “We’re just gonna play the song, and you guys do what you think Ryan and Sharpay would do.” So we danced like idiots, being our best Ryan and Sharpay. The next day, they’d choreographed the whole thing, integrating the moves we’d created just by instinct. From the very beginning, we felt seen and taken care of. I felt safe to express myself.
What was it like getting back into dance through HSM?
We were dancing eight hours a day, which is something I’d never done. I loved the rigor. But my body wasn’t used to that. Watching the professional dancers, and having that warm acceptance from Chucky and Bonnie, made me want to work harder. I always rehearse like the cameras are rolling, and that can be good, but it also takes a toll. They called me “Grandpa” on set because I was always hurting from something. For the first movie, I was dancing on a torn meniscus. Kenny came to me more than once to say, “Be honest with me and tell me if you’re hurt, because I was exactly like this at your age.”
Which other numbers did you find challenging?
After we got back from tour, we went right into the second movie, so I was still healing and had two knee braces and a back brace doing “I Don’t Dance.” But that number is my absolute favorite. I played baseball growing up, and being on the field, getting to meld my two worlds together, was amazing.
“We’re All in This Together” is a lot harder than it looks! And when we nailed (HSM 3’s) “A Night to Remember,” wow. Ballroom is so difficult. It feels different in every way—the muscle sets, the posture. We drilled the waltz section for hours. “What Time Is It?” (from HSM 2) was also difficult but way fun. Chucky, Bonnie, and Kenny have this amazing ability to create levels; everything is extreme. You’re going down, up, side, and back, bringing it in, and exploding. It creates so much movement, especially with so many people doing it together.
What did you learn about dance through HSM?
It sounds so simple, but I learned that dance isn’t just choreography. It’s so deep because it’s from your body. When you’re connected so perfectly with the music—that hits people on another level. That’s when good choreography separates itself from nice dance moves.
Lucas Grabeel (right, front) and the cast of High School Musical. Photo by Fred Hayes, courtesy Disney.
Ryan returned to the franchise in 2019’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, in which he came out publicly. But one could argue he’s been a queer role model the whole time.
Kenny and I had a lot of conversations about Ryan and who he may represent. From the beginning, he said: “Look, as a gay man, I’ve seen it all when it comes to stereotypes. Why don’t we take this opportunity and paint with a more delicate brush, to represent people of all walks of life who are, at their core, just trying to figure out who they are?” That clicked for me, because who isn’t trying to find themselves in high school? Especially with Ryan always being forced to perform but not really be seen—I don’t know of a better analogy.
I’ve met so many people who’ve seen themselves onscreen that way, in a kids’ movie that was so safe. Never, ever would I have ever imagined that I would be a part of something that could be a beacon for so many people.
How would you describe the films’ impact over the years?
It’s not going anywhere. I have fans saying they grew up on HSM, and then they introduce me to their kids who are loving it too. Purists out there (myself included, early on) could be quick to dismiss it because of its cheesiness and campiness. But let’s look back on classic movie musicals, and tell me how often that doesn’t happen! And it’s not Grease—it has a great message. It’s a place for people who are in the spotlight to have the license to go outside of what others have labeled them, which is a condition that we all suffer from.
Even a message as cheesy as “We’re all in this together” somehow passed cliché with HSM. It really has been something important for so many people. We need something that brings unadulterated joy, especially in the world we find ourselves in today.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings