New Role || 19 Jan 2006
The Disney Channel has gone all out to promote "High School Musical," its new original movie that premieres this weekend, beginning Friday night.
Front and center is Springfield's Lucas Grabeel, one of six main characters in the movie about being yourself in high school.
As an informal series, the News-Leader has followed Grabeel's Hollywood quest since the actor moved to Los Angeles in 2003 after graduating from Kickapoo High School. After 2 1/2 years, he finally earns enough through acting to make a living. And recently, to replace his old banged-up car. Still, he doesn't feel secure enough to make new car payments. He settled for something inexpensive, he says, that gets him "from point A to point B."
Making the movie — his second with Disney Channel, which also cast him in 2004's "Halloweentown High" — was a boost to his career. He's also had recent guest spots on "Boston Legal" and, in a role he'll repeat, "Veronica Mars."
This month, Grabeel is all over the Disney Channel, its Web site and more.
"Oh, man, out here we're in the L.A. Weekly, we're in People, we're in Pop Star," says Grabeel from L.A. "At the malls, they all have the posters up. ... It's pretty crazy. We're on almost every bus stop out here. Everywhere I go, 'High School Musical' is right there."
In the movie, Grabeel plays Ryan, an over-the-top, hat-wearing theatrical student considered the lead of East High School's drama program — second only, perhaps, to his bossy sister Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale of Disney's "Suite Life of Zack & Cody").
Ryan and Sharpay try to sabotage an audition for the upcoming school musical by basketball superstar Troy (Zac Efron, "Summerland") and new-kid brainiac Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens, "Thirteen"). Troy and Gabriella, who also like each other, try to break free from stereotype cliques. In the end, students — including Ryan and Sharpay — learn it's OK to try something new.
It's a contemporary musical, says executive producer Bill Borden of Disney: "I wanted it to have songs and dances, not only about things (teens) live every day, but things that concern them every day."
The movie makes a nice showcase for Grabeel who performs several duet and ensemble pieces in which he also sings solo. Ryan and Sharpay provide some comic relief, such as a scene in which they do a pre-performance warm-up.
Borden remembers the first time he met Grabeel.
"We had a casting call, and we brought in 60 kids, 70 kids, and I distinctly remember Lucas because of what he did the first time out," Borden says. "He did this little song and dance number and had so much personality, I was immediately attracted to him to play this role in our movie."
Beth Domann, who directed Grabeel in Springfield Little Theatre shows, keeps in touch with the actor she calls "Mr. Go-Get-em."
"I'm so proud of him and I'm actually glad he's doing a musical because he's an incredible singer," she says.
Last week, the Disney cast attended a theatrical screening of the movie with an audience of kids, followed by a reception where they signed autographs.
"They were really excited about the movie," Grabeel says. "They all said they loved it."
He didn't enjoy watching himself, however, says Grabeel: "I'm a harsh critic."
Grabeel was particularly excited to hear the soundtrack CD, which features his voice in several songs. Barth Fraker, Grabeel's former Springfield voice teacher, bought a copy the day it came out.
"To have one of your own students on an album, that's pretty cool," Fraker says.
Grabeel's friend Susan Marek is hosting a watch party Friday, which Fraker will attend. She expects 20 to 25 friends of Grabeel from high school and SLT's YES Troupe, to which she and Grabeel belonged.
She teared up, she says, the first time she caught a TV promo for the movie that named Grabeel as one of its stars.
"I was so proud," she says, "It's such a huge step and he's only going to go farther from here."
