‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ comes home to Utah to say goodbye

Season 4 of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is both a homecoming and a farewell.

It’s a big homecoming at East High in Salt Lake City. After shooting the first two seasons of the series in Utah, Season 3 was filmed in the Los Angeles area — because it was set at a summer theater camp “and the weather wasn’t right for [shooting it in] Utah,” said creator/writer/director/showrunner Tim Federle. And it was at least a bit of a surprise that the production returned to its point of origin.

“Yeah, well, miracles can happen,” Federle said. “And it was fun to come back and do a victory lap in the old house.”

The fourth season of the series is also the last. (All Season 4 episodes start streaming Thursday on Disney+, where all previous episodes are also available.)

“And, man, was it meaningful to come back to that city that’s become a second home to me and so many of the cast,” Federle said. “The [Utah] crew is remarkable and world class. I love the restaurants. I love the scenery. I love the mountains. And, mostly, I love the people. I’m just so darn proud that we got to spend so much time in Salt Lake City.”

When Federle, who was raised in Pittsburgh, dreamed up the idea for “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” he’d spent very little time in Utah. But he knew he wanted the series to film where the three “HSM” movies (2006, 2007 and 2008) were produced.

Although not everything you see onscreen that looks like East High actually is the school. Crews built re-creations of hallways and rehearsal rooms on a soundstage for some scenes.

They also shot on a number of locations, from a few coffee shops to Wheeler Farm, which played the part of Seb’s (Joe Serafini) family farm.

And four years later, Federle is “absolutely” glad he got to make three of the seasons here, where the experience exceeded his expectations. Even though sets are “environments where you have long days” under “high pressure, … the hard work and great attitudes of that Utah crew, supplemented by some folks from L.A.” made it “work out the way we hoped it would.”

More meta than ever

The “High School Musical” series has always existed in its own universe, which sort of bridges the gap between the three “HSM” movies and reality. The show is about “real” teenagers who attend the real East High in Salt Lake City. (In the movies, the school was in Albuquerque.)

Season 1 revolved around a high school theater production of the first “High School Musical” movie, staged at the real East High with a cast of “real” East High students. In Season 2, the East kids mounted a production of “Beauty and the Beast.” In Season 3, they went to theater camp.

And things have gotten even more meta in Season 4. After returning from theater camp, the “real” East High students make plans for a live production of “High School Musical 3.” And they’re surprised when Disney announces it will film “High School Musical 4″ — featuring a reunion of original actors and characters 15 years after the third movie — at East High. The “real” students will be featured extras in the movie.

“It sort of felt like a big, explosive, silly, meta idea,” Federle said, “which is the kids are trying to have a peaceful semester at school, putting on their own musical. And then Disney arrives with cameras and hilarity ensues.”

No spoilers, but complications quickly arise — both personal and professional.

If the events of Season 4 somehow echo the experiences of Utahns who have been a part of the show over the years — including the extras — that’s not exactly a coincidence.

“We always pull from the local community when it comes to wanting to cast locally where possible,” Federle said, “and wanting to portray them sensitively and also telling stories that feel like they really could be in Utah.”

“And, yeah, I have a lot of pride for the show we made,” he added. “Very specifically because of the Utah vibes, which radiate warmth and joy.”

There’s no Olivia Rodrigo, who left the show in Season 3 to pursue her skyrocketing music career, but the main cast includes Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wyle, Julia Lester, Dara Renee, Frankie Rodriguez, Kate Reindeers and Liamani Segura. Previous series regulars Matt Cornett, Joe Serafini, Mark St. Cyr and Larry Saperstein will appear as guest stars.

Season 4 will also feature half a dozen “High School Musical” movie cast members — Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel and Kaycee Stroh, who have previously appeared in the series; and Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson and Alyson Reed, who have not.

Reference is made to the characters of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, and, obliquely, the actors who played them. But, not surprisingly, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens don’t show up.

Four successful seasons

The series’ creator is proud that his show made it through Season 4. He’s particularly proud that the streaming series won over fans, many of whom expressed great doubts about it before it premiered.

“Anytime something beloved is announced as being re-explored, there’s always, I guess, a perceived threat that the thing you loved is going to be ruined,” Federle said, pointing to the onslaught of negativity that greeted this summer’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”

But “HSM:TM:TS” is not just the movies done over again. “What we really wanted to do was celebrate the original, cast it with new people, and not try to remake it,” Federle said.

Mission accomplished.

There’s more time to tell multiple stories in a season — 8-to-12 episodes, each 30-to-40 minutes long — than in the movies, ranged from 98 to 112 minutes long. More characters get their stories told, and the characters were more fleshed out.

The TV cast is more diverse than the movie’s cast. And, while the TV series is also about auditions, performances and teen romance, Federle said the series always tried to be “an out-front, optimistic, positive show, but, ultimately, one that talked about some real things as well.”

He readily acknowledged that the movies “were so special, and they resonated with a generation of viewers.” But, he added, “I think being more inclusive and more modern is sort of why you should reboot something. And with our series, we really wanted to tell other stories that included queer voices and Black voices in a maybe more modern way. The story of anxiety. The story of getting into college or not getting into college.”

“At the end of the day, I think four seasons and explosive star power that’s emerged from the series kind of speaks for itself. We’re all really proud of it,” Federle said. “And grateful the audience went with it and gave it a shot, because so few shows these days make it to four seasons.

Stars are born. Er … made.

When “HSM:TM:TS” debuted in November 2019, it had a familiar title. And a familiar location. Federle said that when he first came to Salt Lake City to shoot the series, he was “amazed by the number of people who still stopped by East High to take photos in front of it. It’s like a mecca.”

But the TV show’s cast members weren’t exactly household names. Sure, Rodrigo had starred in “Bizardvark.” Bassett had guest roles in several TV series, including “Grey’s Anatomy.” Wyle was a co-star in the made-in-Utah Disney series “Andi Mack.” Most of the other cast members had worked before, but none of them were breakout stars.

But Federle believed they could be.

“I always thought they would have these big, explosive careers,” he said. “I don’t know if I thought it would happen this fast, and it’s really gratifying.

“Man, Julia Lester gets a Tony nomination. Joshua Bassett does a sold-out music tour with all of his original music. Sofia Wylie stars in a Netflix movie. And then there’s Olivia Rodrigo. Not to mention the rest of them, who all are so busy.”

(Lester was nominated for her Broadway role in the revival of “Into the Woods.” In addition to touring, Bassett has released multiple singles. Wylie starred in “The School for Good and Evil.” And Rodrigo’s first album, “Sour,” went quadruple platinum and won her three Grammys.)

Bittersweet farewell

More than a few tears were shed in the final days of filming “HSM:TM:TS” — it was the end of the faux family that Federle pulled together to make the show. Including from the showrunner himself, who directed the final episode.

“Look, I think theater people are emotional and demonstrative and we burst into song when we get emotional,” he said. “That’s a little bit what the set was like at the end.”

Federle he “put a lot of my heart” into the series, and he wanted the young actors “to have as positive an experience as professional actors as they can. And so I tried really hard to be their mentor as well and surround them with success. And I hope audiences have a big, full-circle journey watching this.”

You never know what might happen with “High School Musical” in the future. In 2008, nobody expected a TV series was in the future. But the last episodes of Season 4 is the end ... for now.

“I really wanted to wrap up the show — not on a cliffhanger, but on our own terms,” Federle said. “And so I wanted the last season to feel like the ultimate ‘High School Musical’ celebration.”

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