By Zach Johnson
It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that East High proudly presents… Beauty and the Beast! Production has resumed in Salt Lake City on season two of Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as the East High drama students prepare to perform Beauty and the Beast as their spring musical. Slated for a late 2020 debut, season two will feature both reimagined musical numbers from the High School Musical movies and the stage production of Beauty and the Beast, as well as new, original songs that follow season one hits such as “Born to Be Brave” and “Just for a Moment.”
Created and executive-produced by Tim Federle, the series has been “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes®. Additionally, it was recently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. Joe Serafini (Seb) is a series regular in the second season, joining returning cast members Olivia Rodrigo (Nini), Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Matt Cornett (E.J.), Sofia Wylie (Gina), Larry Saperstein (Big Red), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Reneé (Kourtney), Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos), Mark St. Cyr (Mr. Mazzara), and Kate Reinders (Miss Jenn).
Disney+ has also shared a video of the cast singing a portion of the award-winning Broadway musical’s renowned title song, “Beauty and the Beast,” to celebrate the news:
“We’re excited about Tim’s plans for the new season,” said Ricky Strauss, president, Content & Marketing, Disney+. “He continues to amaze and surprise us with the relationships and stories he’s creating for this unbelievably talented cast. Season two will be filled with even more of the humor, heart, and music that made HSMTMTS a break-out series on Disney+.”
Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, added, “The opportunity to ‘borrow’ one of the most classic Disney scores—and build our second season of HSMTMTS around it—is like having your wish upon a star granted.”
“The outpouring of love and support for season one has been incredibly exciting, and I’m thrilled that the Wildcats are putting on Beauty and the Beast in season two,” said Federle. “It was one of the first Broadway shows I ever saw, when I was 14, and it’s got all the perfect metaphors for the high school experience: Do people judge me for how I look? What is true love? Will I achieve the future I dream of? And, perhaps most importantly, it’s got dancing forks.”
Season one of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is now available on Disney+. The soundtrack debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 31, while “All I Want,” written and performed by Rodrigo, has been streamed more than 52 million times. Rodrigo will perform it on Live with Kelly and Ryan February 6; please check your local listings.
