Zac Efron Didn't Sing with the 'High School Musical' Cast on Disney's Singalong
Zac Efron is set to reunite with the original cast of High School Musical for The Disney Family Singalong special, airing April 16 on ABC.
The film's director, Kenny Ortega, confirmed that the actor, along with the rest of the original cast, are all on board for the virtual reunion designed to lift the spirits of families at home during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Update, 4/16:
Troy Bolton didn't quite reunite with the Wildcats in the way we had hoped. In tonight's Disney Family Singalong, members of the High School Musical cast—plus stars of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and other friends—banded together to perform "We're All in This Together" via video chat. But, Zac Efron wasn't part of the ensemble. Instead, he introduced the group before their performance aired.
"It's my greatest pleasure to introduce a musical performance by some of my oldest friends," he said in a video message.
It's possible Efron had jumped in on the collab too late to film himself singing. As HSM director Kenny Ortega previously told Deadline, "We couldn't reach Zac until late but when we did, he immediately jumped in, of course."
Watch a clip of the full HSM set below.
Original story, 4/14:
The Wildcats will all be together once again.
According to Deadline, Zac Efron is set to reunite with his original High School Musical castmates for The Disney Family Singalong, airing on April 16 on ABC. The special—which promises performances and guest appearances from stars such as Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Christina Aguilera—will have celebrities and artists tuning in from their homes to perform classic Disney songs for viewers self-quarantining amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Per the outlet, HSM's director, Kenny Ortega, was tasked with gathering the original cast for the television event, with Efron being reportedly the last original member Ortega was able to get on board—though, when Efron was finally approached, he was eager to join in on the reunion for the cause. Efron, along with Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, will virtually perform a live rendition of "We're All in This Together" for at-home audiences.
"We couldn't reach Zac until late but when we did, he immediately jumped in, of course," Ortega told the outlet. "Everyone we reached out to was quick—and you'll see it in their spirit and the way they come together from their homes. They recognize this is an opportunity to strengthen spirits for those joining us for the broadcast."
Ortega continued that he hopes that longtime HSM fans will feel inspired after seeing the cast perform with a united message of staying safe and staying at home.
"There are young people out there that look up to these people and have for a long time," continued Ortega. "To see them in their own living rooms and in their sweatpants hanging out with their families helps everyone realize there's truth behind these words—we're all in this together in various circumstances. We need to feel that company."
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