With the premiere of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 4 on Aug. 9, the time has come to say goodbye to the second generation of Wildcats, but not without a few cameos from the franchise’s original cast. The release of all the High School Musical movies on Disney Channel was a core childhood memory for much of Gen Z — whether you still squeal over Troy and Gabriella’s meet-cute on New Year’s, bop to (the top) “Bet on It” and “Fabulous,” or cry during the graduation scene in the third film like it’s your own, you can’t deny the original cast made the franchise what it is today.
Arriving with the release of Disney+, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series followed a new generation of Wildcats as they put on a play version of High School Musical. The trailer for Season 4 announced that High School Musical 4: The Reunion would be filming at East High, with the original cast reprising their iconic roles in guest appearances.
Whether you’ve seen HSMTMTS from the beginning or just want to see the characters that were such a momentous part of your childhood, you won’t want to miss out this season. Here are all of the original HSM cast members who did (and didn’t) make cameos in HSMTMTS’ final season. Spoiler warning: Spoilers for HSMTMTS Season 4 follow.
- Corbin Bleu
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Whether you loved his iconic t-shirts or his tendency to get into detention, you remember Corbin Bleu as the comic relief that was Chad Danforth. This isn’t the first time he’s graced the HSMTMTS screen, as he had a recurring role as himself in Season 3. This season, though, he’s back to play Chad one last time — and we find out that Chad and Taylor McKessie are married.
- Monique Coleman
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Disney/Fred Hayes Known for being captain of the Scholastic Decathlon and East High’s resident brainiac, Monique Coleman is back in her role as Taylor McKessie. Unlike Corbin Bleu, this is her first time back in the High School Musical universe since 2008. There’s no doubt that she’s taken the world by storm while being married to Chad.
- Lucas Grabeel
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Disney/Fred Hayes Lucas Grabeel played Sharpay’s right-hand man and everyone’s favorite theater nerd, Ryan Evans. Like Bleu, Grabeel also made an appearance as himself in Season 1 of HSMTMTS. Fans were shocked and delighted to know that Ryan is confirmed gay in this season, as Kenny Ortega wanted him to be gay in the original films, but was afraid Disney wouldn’t go for it. Ryan and his partner (played by Scott Hoying) are in a happy relationship and expecting twins.
- Kaycee Stroh
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Kaycee Stroh helped make “Stick to the Status Quo” the iconic bop that it is with her role as Martha Cox, the Scholastic Decathlon member that loves to “pop and lock.” Stroh, like Grabeel, also appeared in Season 1 of HSMTMTS. Martha is now a world-renowned choreographer, putting her popping and locking skills to good use.
- Bart Johnson
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Disney/Fred Hayes Bart Johnson played Troy Bolton’s dad and coach of the East High Wildcats. Although this is the first time Johnson has reprised his role on the small screen, he does have a Cameo where people request plenty of HSM-themed Cameos from him. We don’t know exactly what Coach Bolton is up to, but it’s safe to say that he’s probably still making basketball his No. 1 personality trait.
- Alyson Reed
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Disney/Fred Hayes Whether you had a theater teacher like her in high school or just wanted one, there’s no denying that Alyson’s Reed’s Ms. Darbus set the standard. Her dramatic theater exercises and monologues will stay with me forever. This is also the first time that Reed has reprised her High School Musical role. My questions are: How has Ms. Darbus not retired yet, and does she still collect people’s phones in the tin can?
That’s it for the characters that are making a comeback in the final season of HSMTMTS. Of course, three beloved main characters aren’t included in that list, but it’s not for a lack of trying.
- Vanessa Hudgens
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Now, we can’t discuss a High School Musical reunion without bringing up everyone’s favorite freaky math girl. Despite our hopes and dreams and her suspicious Instagram post, Vanessa Hudgens did not return to HSMTMTS. When asked why she wouldn’t be reprising her role, the show’s creator, Tim Federle, told Entertainment Weekly that Hudgens is “super busy and so gracious.” The show hasn’t forgotten about her entirely, though, and said that Troy and Gabriella are still together, but in couple’s therapy.
- Zac Efron
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Much like Hudgens, Zac Efron’s Troy Bolton made the High School Musical franchise what it was. While he too posted a suspicious Instagram post about returning to East High, that had nothing to do with the filming of the show and he doesn’t make an appearance. Federle told Entertainment Weekly, “Zac is busy. He has 20 movies going.” With Troy being in couple’s therapy with Gabriella, we can guess that whatever happened with them after they graduated hasn’t been an easy ride.
- Ashley Tisdale
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Whether you loved her, hated her, or loved to hate her, no one could play East High’s resident drama queen, Sharpay Evans, like Ashley Tisdale. While her personality may not be sought after, her wardrobe and singing abilities definitely were. Unlike other HSM characters, Sharpay got her own movie, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, in 2011.
According to Federle, Tisdale couldn’t return to the show because she’s “in LA launching a very successful line of products, and she’s a new mom, and she’s launching her own show at CBS.” However, that doesn’t stop Sharpay from being as ambitious in the future as she was in the original films. Sharpay’s future isn’t explicitly mentioned, but Federle did tell People, “She’s now a full CEO and I think she’s a Goop competitor that’s about to IPO,” as well as that she “consulted on Barbie and coached Margot [Robbie] through.”
Needless to say, today’s a very big day for High School Musical fans, whether you’ve seen the TV series or not. Get ready to watch all three of the masterpiece films and catch up on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as you “Getcha Head in the Game” for the final season and the reunion of a lifetime.