What do you get when you wish upon a star? Disney+—an imminent subscription video-on-demand channel by The Walt Disney Company—that allows people to stream a slew of their favorite Disney films, as well as a few new series. Among the unfamiliar is High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a fresh take on the two-time Emmy Award-winning High School Musical movies. In a nutshell, the series—which stars Sofia Wylie, Joshua Bassett, Olivia Rodrigo, and Matt Cornett—presents a show within a show, as high schoolers prepare to put on a winter theater production of HSM. Below, Larry Saperstein, who plays Big Red on the series, takes readers behind-the-scenes of the iconic, downright ‘fabulous’ spin-off. 

What was the audition process like for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series?

I was actually the final main character that was cast! My audition experience was crazy. I was almost unable to go to my first audition because I was supposed to be visiting my grandparents in Florida, but I pushed the audition up a day so I could go. Then, when I was in Florida, I got a call asking me to come back to New York the next day and do a callback for the show. I  found the cheapest flight back to New York that night, had my callback, and a week later, I was in L.A. having my network test in front of major casting directors and producers. They loved that I could tap dance, and I had great chemistry with Josh [Bassett], who plays my best friend Ricky. Three days later, I got the call that I had the role! A few days after that, I was getting ready to move to Salt Lake City, Utah, to begin filming. The entire process took about two weeks. It’s crazy how quickly your life can change as an actor! 


How does it differ from previous HSM movies?

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is a new concept. It‘s not a reboot or remake but a spin-off series that pays so much respect to the original movies. Our characters are theater kids at East High, where the original HSM movies were filmed, that participate in a production of High School Musical: The Musical as their school musical. We are new characters that are fans of both the original HSM movies and musical theater, of course. It’s so exciting because the show is filmed in a “mockumentary" or “docu-style” format, which gives the series so much room to be creatively funny and grounded in reality. All of our characters are part of a complex, diverse group of students that reflect what it’s like to be real-life teenagers in 2019, which is really important right now.


Where were you and how did you react when you found out you were cast?

When I found out I was cast, I was getting ready for my spring semester at Pace University, and I was actually in the office of the Performing Arts School. I got the call around all of my friends, and I totally freaked out. I remember sitting on one of the benches outside and thinking to myself, “Okay, this is really happening now. Here we go!” Then, I had to run back inside so I could fill out paperwork to take a semester off from school…two days before it was about to start! I had to be in L.A. two days later, so I barely had any time to think before we started on this rollercoaster ride. Sometimes, it still hits me that I’m a part of this world-famous legacy, and I’m just so proud of the show we’ve made!

What was your favorite part about being on set?

I absolutely loved being on set! We would always spend so much time together as a cast and usually have jam sessions in the hallway while we were in between takes or changing setups. Our executive producer even got us all custom ukuleles as a wrap gift because we loved making music so much. And now, I get to practice a new instrument, which is always a plus! I also learned so much about what it takes to make a TV show, and on my off days, I would even come to set just to observe and support everyone. We are such a supportive and positive group, which I think really helped to make the experience so special. 


Any memorable behind-the-scenes moments you can share?

One of the crew members once took a mannequin from the prop room and put it under the stairwell to scare people if they passed by. I remember the first time I walked past it with Josh and Matt [Cornett], we thought it was a real person, screamed, and fell to the floor laughing. The crew guys were standing on the other end of the hallway laughing at us, and then it became a whole inside joke! After that, of course, I’d take people past the stairwell to see if they noticed it and they’d freak too!

What is the main message you hope viewers will take away from the series?

This show has so many important messages! I think that at its heart, it’s a show about finding a group of people that accept you for who you are and make you feel like you belong. Especially as theater kids, we are so often told that we don’t fit in or aren’t cool enough to be a part of the popular crowd. I think nowadays, people make their own popular crowd! And theater kids are being looked at less and less as ‪the outsiders‬ now too! Every character in the show is completely accepting of their quirks and traits that make them unique, and I think the audience will see that you should always be yourself! They should go be a part of their school musical because it’s fun!

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is available on Disney+ November 12 with episodes released weekly.