By Zach Johnson
For the first time in forever… we have an update on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series! Production begins in Los Angeles today on the third season of the hit Disney+ original series. Created and executive produced by Tim Federle, season three is set at Camp Shallow Lake, a family-owned sleepaway camp in California, as the Wildcats and their fellow campers stage a high-stakes production of Frozen to determine who is “best in snow.” In addition to music from Frozen, season three of the GLAAD Media Award-winning series will include popular songs from Camp Rock and the High School Musical franchise.
New faces joining the cast this season include two series regulars, newcomer Adrian Lyles and Saylor Bell, and three guest stars: Corbin Bleu, Meg Donnelly, and Jason Earles. The new cast members join series regulars including Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Matt Cornett (E.J.), Sofia Wylie (Gina), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Reneé (Kourtney), Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos), Kate Reinders (Miss Jenn), Olivia Rose Keegan (Lily), and Olivia Rodrigo (Nini).
As production gets underway, let’s learn more about the new cast members:
- Adrian Lyles plays Jet, Camp Shallow Lake’s mysterious new kid. A recipient of the prestigious YoungArts Award by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, Lyles began playing piano when he was 3 years old and filmed his first commercial at age 4. The Florida native has since booked various print jobs as well as commercials, including Six Flags and Guitars and Growlers. In addition to acting, Lyles performs with Melody of Hope, a non-profit organization supporting and advocating for non-profits across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex through music.
- Saylor Bell plays Maddox, a bright-eyed, quick-witted techie, who always follows the rules. Hailing from Chicago and a family of actors, Bell has appeared in the series Mom, The Big Show Show, New Girl and Disney Channel’s I Didn’t Do It.
- Corbin Bleu guest stars as himself, star of the High School Musical films. Best known for his role as Chad Danforth in said franchise, Bleu recently starred in TV movies Love, For Real and A Christmas Dance Reunion. His Broadway credits include Lucentio/Bill Calhoun in the Tony® Award-nominated revival of Kiss Me Kate; Jesus in Godspell; Usnavi in In the Heights; and Ted Hanover in the Tony Award-nominated production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, for which Bleu won the Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show.
- Meg Donnelly guest stars as Val, a confident and funny college student and longtime camper-turned-counselor-in-training, who is ready to choreograph the summer production of Frozen. An accomplished singer, musician, and dancer, Donnelly is best known for her starring roles as Addison in Disney’s popular ZOMBIES franchise and Taylor Otto on ABC’s hit comedy series American Housewife. She has performed alongside Steve Aoki, Avril Lavigne, and Alessia Cara, and her debut album, trust (2019), features songs with KOTA The Friend and 2 Milly.
- Jason Earles guest stars as Dewey Wood, the stone-faced, killjoy of a Camp Director of Camp Shallow Lake. Earles has spent the last two decades as a successful actor, producer, and director. Best known for his roles as Jackson Stewart in Disney’s Hannah Montana and Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie, as well as Rudy Gillespie and Bobby Wasabi in Disney’s Kickin’ It, Earles served as the cast’s acting coach for the first two seasons of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Stream both seasons of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series now, only on Disney+.
