Disney+ announced a 45-minute special episode of High School Musical: The Musical series on Wednesday. Called The Holiday Special, the show would be a cast reunion and pre-performance ahead of the second season of the series.
Presenting our gift to you: The #HSMTMTS cast is back to spread some holiday cheer in High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special! 🎁 Start streaming the special on Dec. 11 because it also includes a special sneak peek of the Original Series’ second season. #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/OPr4uBaXkC
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 7, 2020
According to a report by D23, the official fan club of The Walt Disney Company, the cast is expected to share their memories with families and suggestions for the festive season. They will also deliver “heartfelt renditions of favourite Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s songs” and “feature a sneak peek performance from the highly anticipated second season of the series”.
The cast includes Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Larry Saperstein, Julia Lester, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, Joe Serafini, Mark St. Cyr and Kate Reinders. Bassett, who plays Troy Bolton, is expected to perform an acoustic version of an original song that he wrote for the upcoming season. The soundtrack would be available on all major music platforms from November 20.
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The series is a mockumentary (or docucomedy) that presents fictional events in a documentary format. The executive producer and creator of the web television series, Tim Federle drew inspiration from films and series like Waiting for Guffman (1996) and American sitcom The Office (2005). He was inspired to create a series which depicted music as a central theme, while also drawing on his experience as a former Broadway performer.
“The holidays remind us of the universal importance of family and loved ones,” said the director as per the D23 report. “The cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is its own kind of family, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to share their favorite holiday music and traditions with our viewers,” he addded.
The first season streamed in November 2019. Set at a fictionalised version of the East High School, the series draws from its original in terms of location and storyline. It is a spin of the original High School Musical (2006, 2007, 2008) film series that featured Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and others.