High School Musical: The Musical: The Series returns not only with season 3 of the hit Disney show but also with exciting additions to its cast. The new season of the High School Musical spinoff show premiered on Disney+ on July 27, 2022. Instead of remaining at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, the setting is now a sleepaway theater camp in California called Camp Shallow Lake. There, the Wildcats will be staging their own high-stakes production of Frozen. Additionally, season 3 of the High School Musical show will feature cameos from Disney stars along with new characters and even some surprise guests.
The production journey of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series began in 2017, with Tim Federle helming the show based on the High School Musical films. Eventually, the series was revealed to be a mockumentary detailing the rehearsals of various musicals staged at the fictional East High School. In season 1 of the show, a winter production of High School Musical: The Musical was performed, while season 2 focused on a spring production of Beauty and the Beast.
The Disney+ show has been positively received, and because of its steady success, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was renewed for a fourth season ahead of its season 3 premiere. Throughout its run, critics have mostly noted its nostalgic homage to high school theater productions while praising the vocal and acting abilities of its cast, especially departing High School Musical series lead Olivia Rodrigo. Here is a look at the cast and characters of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3, including returning players and newcomers.
Joshua Bassett As Ricky Bowen
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 sees the return of Ricky Bowen, played by Joshua Bassett. An East High School student who was previously cast as Troy Bolton in season 1 and as Beast in season 2, Ricky was also in a relationship with Nini Salazar-Roberts. Bassett previously had a recurring role in Stuck in the Middle season 3 prior to appearing in this Disney+ show. He is also set to headline his own concert tour starting in September 2022.
Sofia Wylie As Gina Porter
Gina Porter, played by Sofia Wylie, debuted on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as a sophomore transfer student in season 1. She showcased her theater ambitions as she was cast as Taylor McKessie and appointed as the understudy for the role of Gabriella. She was then given the role of Babette in season 2. Wylie was previously seen on the Disney Channel YouTube series Shook. She is next set to star as Agatha in the upcoming Netflix film The School for Good and Evil.
Matt Cornett As E.J. Caswell
E.J. Caswell is an ambitious jock theater enthusiast who also previously dated Nini. Cast as Chad Danforth and understudy for Troy in the winter production of High School Musical: The Musical, E.J. then got the role of Gaston in their staging of Beauty and the Beast. He is portrayed again in season 3 of the High School Musical show by Matt Cornett, who co-stars in Zombies 3 as A-Lan. Cornett will next be seen in the upcoming show School for Boys.
Julia Lester As Ashlyn Caswell
Like her cousin E.J., Ashlyn Caswell is deeply passionate about theater, but she is also into songwriting, with Sara Bareilles as her inspiration. She was cast as Ms. Darbus in season 1 of the Disney+ High School Musical series. She then stepped into season 2 as Belle. Ashlyn is brought to life again in season 3 by Julia Lester, who formerly voiced the character Bebe Schumann in the animated series Spirit Riding Free. Lester has also appeared in numerous stage productions, including the second Broadway revival of Into the Woods.
Dara Reneé As Kourtney Greene
Nini’s best friend, Kourtney Greene is a makeup-loving feminist who also serves as the costume designer and makeup artist for the East High drama club. In season 2 of the High School Musical series, she finally auditioned for an on-stage role and was cast as Mrs. Potts. Kourtney is portrayed again in season 3 by Dara Reneé, who debuted in the Disney Channel Original movie Freaky Friday. Reneé also had a recurring role in Black-ish season 5.
Frankie A. Rodriguez As Carlos Rodriguez
Carlos Rodriguez is the student choreographer for East High School’s theater productions. He was cast as Lumière in their staging of Beauty and the Beast in season 2. Carlos is played by Frankie A. Rodriguez, who had minor roles in the shows Modern Family and This Close.
Saylor Bell Curda As Maddox
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series introduces Maddox in season 3. Sharing history with E.J. as his childhood friend, she is a bright-eyed, rule-loving technology enthusiast who is currently a camp counselor at Camp Shallow Lake. Maddox is portrayed by Saylor Bell Curda, who also appeared on New Girl and I Didn’t Do It.
Adrian Lyles As Jet
Adrian Lyles joins the High School Musical show in season 3 as Jet, the mysterious new camper at Camp Shallow Lake. Lyles’s role in the Disney+ show is his first screen acting credit, as he has been more focused on his music career so far.
Meg Donnelly As Val
College student Val is a counselor-in-training at Camp Shallow Lake who winds up choreographing the summer musical. The recurring High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 role is played by Meg Donnelly, best known as the star of Disney’s Zombies movies and previously part of the shows Team Toon and American Housewife.
High School Musical TMTS Season 3 Supporting Cast & Characters
Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts – Nini Salazar-Roberts, who is played by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo in a reduced season 3 role, was originally one of the lead characters in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Cast as Gabriella Montez in season 1 and portraying various chorus roles in season 2, Nini is separated from the Wildcats in season 3 as she is pursuing her music dreams in California.
Olivia Rose Keegan as Lily – Originally from East High, Lily asked to transfer schools after being rejected to play the lead in their musical. She was then cast as Belle in North High School’s Beauty and the Beast production. Olivia Rose Keegan, who returns as a guest star in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3, won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as Claire Brady, granddaughter of Bo and Hope Brady, on Days of Our Lives.
Larry Saperstein as Big Red – Big Red is Ricky’s best friend and was a part of the High School Musical production’s tech crew. In season 2, he was cast as LeFou, but in season 3, he couldn’t attend Camp Shallow Lake due to his job. He’s played by Larry Saperstein, who most recently appeared in First Wives Club.
Joe Serafini as Seb Matthew-Smith – Seb Matthew-Smith, who has a reduced guest-appearance role in season 3, embodied a male version of Sharpay Evans in season 1 and Chip in season 2 of the High School Musical show. He is currently in a relationship with Carlos Rodriguez. Seb is portrayed by Joe Serafini, who has been in numerous stage productions, including Miracle on 34th Street, Fiddler on the Roof, and Cats.
Kate Reinders as Miss Jenn – Miss Jenn, who was written as having a small part in the first of the High School Musical movies, is East High School’s drama teacher. She leads the school’s productions and works alongside Carlos. Miss Jenn is played by Kate Reinders, who already has several Broadway shows on her resume.
Aria Brooks as Alex – Alex is a first-time camper at Camp Shallow Lake. The eighth grader is best friends with Emmy. She is portrayed by Aria Brooks, who recently appeared in Black Widow and Better Nate Than Ever.
Ben Stillwell as Channing – Channing is the camera operator for a documentary series being made about the Frozen production of Camp Shallow Lake in season 3 of the High School Musical series. Ben Stillwell, who portrays Channing, was last seen in an episode of Young Sheldon season 5 and Kai in Mythic Quest.
Liamani Segura as Emmy – Like her best friend Alex, Emmy is also a newcomer at Camp Shallow Lake. She is played by Liamani Segura, who makes her screen debut in season 3 of the High School Musical show.
The High School Musical movie trilogy’s Corbin Bleu, Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and pop star and YouTuber JoJo Siwa also appear as guest stars in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3.
