This summer, the kids at East High are back and ready to attend summer camp for the third season of the series premiering on July 27 on Disney+. After a successful first season back in 2019, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series returned last Spring for a sophomore season that was met with a mixed reception.
A lot has happened since the first season of the show, including the rising stardom of main character Olivia Rodrigo. Even though many things about the original series have changed, like the starring roles and location, the series promises to be innovative and fresh for its third iteration. HSMTMTS has already been renewed for a fourth season as well, set to premiere in 2023.
There’s A New Setting
The first two seasons of HSMTMTS took place at East High School, where the students put on High School Musical and Beauty & The Beast as their fall and spring musicals respectively.
For season 3, the show is leaning into a summer theme and has the cast traveling from Utah to Los Angeles to attend Camp Shallow Lake, a musical theater summer camp. This change of location leaves room for lots of changes in the cast and the characters’ futures.
The Soundtrack Will Have Songs From HSM & Other Disney Movies
Show creator Tim Federle has confirmed that along with songs from this season’s musical, season three will feature music from Disney movies like High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock.
Because the season is going to take place at summer camp, it gives the series a chance to lean into the Camp Rock side of things, broadening the plot from being solely about a new iteration of High School Musical. With the addition of songs from other popular movies, the season is bound to be full of Disney nostalgia.
Some Characters Aren’t Returning
The change in location for HSMTMTS has its pros and cons. The pros include a fresh start and a chance to see the beloved characters in a new setting, but the cons are big too. A lot of popular characters won’t be returning for the third installment, with no explanation as of yet as to why.
Characters such as Ricky’s best friend, Big Red, Carlos’ boyfriend Seb, robotics teacher Mr. Mazzara, and stage manager Natalie have not been confirmed as season three cast members, and don’t appear in promotional images released by Disney.
There Will Be Eight Episodes
Season 1 of HSMTMTS had a perfect 10 episodes and season 2 was granted a lengthy 12, but season 3 will be slightly shorter with only eight episodes that will air every Wednesday beginning on July 27.
The reason for the shortened season hasn’t been acknowledged or explained by the cast or creator, though it could be because the season only takes place over the course of a few weeks in the summer.
There Will Be A Lot Of New Characters
While many main characters haven’t been confirmed as members of the newest season, HSMTMTS has many new additions coming to Camp Shallow Lake to interact with the students at East High.
Among the new characters are Meg Donnelly, known for her work in Disney’s Zombies, Jason Earles from Hannah Montana, and a long list of newcomers. It’s still unknown whether these new additions will have permanent roles on the series going forward, they have been promoted on the social media accounts for the show.
Corbin Bleu Is Making An Appearance
Corbin Bleu is perhaps best known for his role as Troy Bolton’s best friend Chad Danforth in the High School Musical trilogy. After the third film, he went on to compete on Dancing With The Stars and have various supporting roles in television and movies.
Corbin’s appearance in season three will be the third visit by High School Musical alum on the series, followed by KayCee Stroh and Lucas Gabriel. Not much is known about the size of his role in the series, though he is going to be playing a dramatized version of himself.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Nini Is No Longer The Main Character
Olivia Rodrigo plays Nini Salazar-Roberts, the main character in the first two seasons of HSMTMTS. The series revolved around Nini and her relationship with Ricky, with Olivia writing and performing many original songs for the series.
Due to Olivia’s success following the release of her hit single “Driver’s License” and debut album “Sour,” it was rumored that she may not return for future seasons of the show. However, soon after the renewal of the series, it was confirmed that she would be reprising her role as Nini, just on a smaller scale. Olivia is set to be a recurring character, most likely not attending Camp Shallow Lake with her peers.
“Frozen” Is This Season’s Musical
Despite taking place in the summer, HSMTMTS promises to be a bit chilly as the campers put on the musical Frozen. The decision to do Frozen in season 3 follows in the footsteps of season 2, where East High opted not to do High School Musical 2 but instead put on Beauty & The Beast.
Nini starred as the lead in season 1’s musical and Julia Lester’s Ashlyn got the role of Belle in season 2, leaving fans to wonder who will get the coveted roles of Elsa and Anna here. Since Sofia Wylie’s Gina and Dara Renee’s Kourtney have yet to get their time in the spotlight, it seems only fair that they would be front and center this season.
