I don’t know about you, but all the “High School Musical” posts on social media (from the Zoom reunions to Vanessa Hudgens’ viral “Breaking Free” video) are making me think about how the movie series has become a great part of my childhood and teenage years. I remember being a grade-schooler wanting to already be a high school student because of how fun it looked in the movies.
And it’s not just me who misses HSM, it was also a huge part of my colleagues’ lives. From Sharpay’s sassiness to Ryan’s surprising character development, they left such a great impression on us and taught us so much about chasing our dreams and growing up. Here are some of the scenes the Preen team has etched into their hearts:
“Stick to the Status Quo”
For content creator Monina, she never really understood why there were so many stereotypes in high school. She could relate to when Gabriella entered the canteen and was just like “Why are people staring?” (which was actually because a nerd like her got a callback). And I have to agree with her, a lot of us never really understood the need for society to sort us based on our best suit and judge us if we stray a bit from it. Personally, I hated Sharpay’s queen bee attitude here.
“When There Was Me and You”
As much as it was such a heartbreaking scene, our graphic designer Tricia found that this scene was “so extra in the best way.” “What kind of school has their varsity players’ faces printed on a huge ass wall?” she asks. I feel you, Tricia. I mean my high school only had athletes on our wall when they win a tournament, and it isn’t as huge as the one in the movie. Aside from this, wasn’t it so weird how Gabriella looked straight into the camera and kept “walling” all of a sudden (when it’s supposed to be just her)? Gurl, your production was bomb.
“Give me a beat”
If you’re having a hard time remembering the context of this scene, this was when Sharpay and Ryan had a huge fight because the former was scared that the rest of the Wildcats would steal her Star Dazzle award (which is the prize for Lava Springs’ talent show). This is content creator Ety’s favorite scene because she felt that Sharpay exuded some real “head b*tch energy.” When she showed me this, I really felt a connection to how Sharpay was handling all the stress. I mean, in trying times, we still need to keep our head up high.
Troy and Gabriella talk about college
This is my personal favorite because I was at the same crossroads Troy was facing when it came to choosing what path to take after high school. Don’t get me wrong—compared to Troy, I was far from getting a basketball scholarship but I did feel the pressure of choosing between what my family wanted and what I actually wanted. It’s hard when you’re pressured to try to make everyone around you happy—you can forget yourself in the process.
“I Want It All”
For Preen’s associate editor Aya, she has branded herself as a Sharpay Evans apologist since day one. “When I think about sixth grade, I think pink, glittery and chunky headbands, training bras and Sharpay Evans in a leather pink skirt and boots singing about how much she wants to rule the world,” she shared. And for her, nothing can give Sharpay justice better than giving her an all out production as her send-off in the final film. “It has everything and all that everything is extra: Broadway belting, background dancers, multiple costumes and set changes and actual fireworks,” she gushed. Well, Aya, Sharpay has always been extra since the beginning. She just wanted to remind you before the movie series ended.
Kelsi and Ryan get the Juilliard scholarship
This is probably the most emotional scene in the entire film, since this is when they all learn where they’re heading after college. Content creator Amrie thought it was a nice surprise when Ms. Darbus announced that Kelsi and Ryan have been granted the Juilliard scholarship for music and choreography, respectively. She says that they were recognized for all the backstage work “which are equally, if not more, crucial than Troy, Gabriella, or Sharpay’s onstage performances to the success of their musical.” Many of us may have just focused on the leads that we overlooked characters like Kelsi and Ryan.
Art by Tricia Guevara
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