Back in 2006 to 2008, kids and teens alike were obsessed with the movies and songs of the High School Musical franchise. Because of this, Disney created multiple projects centered on the pop culture phenomenon. This included a North American concert tour, sing-along and dance-along versions of the films, and even a 2019 Disney+ drama series inspired by the movies. And until now, fans (including myself) continue to sing the songs and talk about the movies–especially since the first film turned fifteen in January of this year.
However, there is one High School Musical spinoff that does not necessarily get as much attention as the television series and the original three movies–and that’s Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.
As you can already tell from the title, this 2011 film focuses on the life of the East High alum Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) as she moves to New York and attempts to make a career in Broadway. But when things don’t go according to plan in the Big Apple, Sharpay is left reassessing her goals and dreams as a theater actress. What happens next is a journey of rediscovery and love that will remind Sharpay (and viewers) why she deserves to be in the spotlight.
It’s a lighthearted and fun movie that more High School Musical fans need to be talking about. And this April–particularly today, April 19, 2021–the movie officially turns ten!
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, I’ve rounded up four reasons that make this High School Musical spinoff worth watching (or rewatching). Here they are:
Sharpay finally gets to shine in this movie
Let’s face it, back when we were younger, a lot of us thought that Sharpay was the villain of the movies. Though, now that we’ve grown up, many of us have come to realize that she was actually robbed of recognition during her high school days. I mean imagine this, you and your brother work tirelessly for days practicing and rehearsing for the musical and then, some newcomers show up and immediately take your spots onstage. Annoying right?
But in this film, we get to see Sharpay in all her much-needed glory on the stage. And finally (after three movies), her talent and dedication to the art gets recognized by the world, albeit after some less-than-pleasant events.
Sharpay is finally seen as more than just a spoiled drama queen
In the first High School Musical film and in the first half of the second movie, Sharpay was portrayed as Ryan Evans’s (Lucas Grabeel) narcissistic, spoiled twin sister who was obsessed with getting everything she wanted no matter the cost. But in the latter half of High School Musical 2, viewers finally got to see the goodness that was inherent in her character–especially when she decided to give up her duet with Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) so that he can patch things up with his girlfriend Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). This particular scene also showed viewers that there’s more to this pink-obsessed queen than meets the eye. In fact, in Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, we get to see different facets of her character.
For one, we got to see her generous and selfless nature, which was evident when she chose to share her dog Boi’s stage time with his canine competitor Lady, even after going through so much trouble dealing with her handler.
Second, we got to see her learn to adapt and make the best of her situation–especially when it came down to improving her living arrangements.
Third, we got to see her openly admit to her mistakes. In this movie, she wholeheartedly acknowledges her wrongdoings against Peyton (Austin Butler) and becomes a better person from it.
Honestly, her character development alone makes this movie worth the watch!
Sharpay finally gets a love interest that’s worthy of her
Throughout the first two High School Musical movies, we saw her character constantly obsessing over Troy Bolton (Efron). And in some parts of all three movies, it was hinted that she might have had a romantic fling with the baking-basketball player Zeke (Chris Warren). However, none of these two boys seemed to truly appreciate her character and dedication for theater.
In Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, she gets introduced to Peyton Leverett (Butler), the son of her mother’s friend–and finally, Sharpay finds a love interest that’s worthy of her!
Not only was Peyton very attentive and helpful towards her, but he also never tried to change her or force her to be something she was not. Instead he embraced her as the overdramatic (and somewhat, high maintenance) go-getter that she was.
Moreover, he encouraged her love for the theater and even helped her gain back confidence when it was initially lost. It’s because of him that she was even recognized by theater producers as a possible lead for the musical. Without him, she would have never made her debut performance on Broadway–so yeah, he really was a great catch!
The Evans twins finally get the endings they deserve
Earlier, I mentioned that Sharpay finally got her spotlight in this movie. But another thing that I absolutely loved about this film was the fact that it gave viewers a look into Ryan’s (Grabeel) promising future as well.
In the ending credits of the movie, Ryan makes a surprise appearance wherein he congratulates his sister for her success and shares that he’s been touring the country starring in a musical.
This is the perfect ending for two siblings who have worked hard to master their craft and go after their passions!
So after reading this, I really hope you watch (or rewatch) the movie on this special anniversary. And to Ashley Tisdale and the rest of the cast and crew of Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, happy ten years!
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C. Militar Writes 