By Megan Riedlinger
8:09am PST, Nov 5, 2019
Go, Wildcats! "High School Musical" is back — and this time, it's set at East High with a brand new cast. The new Disney+ series is based on the beloved Disney Channel films, but with a twist. The new series is a mockumentary about high school students staging a performance of "High School Musical" at their school, with plenty of drama unfolding on and off the stage. So who are the new faces tackling the beloved musical? Keep reading to meet the cast of "High School Musical: The Musical – The Series"…
RELATED: Best Disney villains
Joshua Bassett plays Ricky, a high school student heading into junior year who's on a mission to win back his ex-girlfriend, Nini. So what's his strategy? Auditioning for the play at his school. There's only one problem — she already has a new boyfriend. You might recognize Joshua from his previous roles on the Disney Channel's "Stuck in the Middle" and the Bravo drama "Dirty John."
RELATED: Best animated Disney films ranked
Playing Ricky's ex-girlfriend, Nini? Olivia Rodrigo. In this new installment, Nini's just back from summer camp and ready for junior year with a brand-new boyfriend — EJ. Little does she know that Ricky's on a quest to get her back. The young actress is best known for her work on the Disney Channel's "Bizaardvark," the American Girl film "Grace Stirs Up Success" and FOX's "New Girl."
RELATED: Stars who've played Disney princesses
Matt Cornett plays EJ, Nini's new squeeze. You've previously seen the young actor on "The Goldbergs," "Alone Together," "Criminal Minds" and "The Middle."
The resident teacher of the group? Miss Jenn, played by Kate Reinders. The actress hails from Broadway, where she's been performing for nearly two decades. She starred as June in "Gypsy" in 2003, Glinda in "Wicked" in 2006 and Portia in "Something Rotten!" in 2015, to name just a few. Despite her theater background, she's no stranger to TV. Kate's made appearances on shows like "Ugly Betty," "Modern Family" and "Anger Management" over the years.
Julia Lester plays Ashlyn on "High School Musical: The Musical – The Series," and she's no stranger to the small screen. She's best known for her recurring role on the sitcom "Mom."
Sofia Wylie plays Gina on "High School Musical: The Musical – The Series." She's best known for her role as Buffy on "Andi Mack" and Riri on "Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron." Aside from acting, Sofia is also a very talented dancer! She's shown off her skills on "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Got Talent" and even performed on Justin Bieber's "Purpose World Tour" in 2016.
The "High School Musical: The Musical – The Series" character Carlos is played by Frankie A. Rodriguez, who you've previously seen on "Modern Family" as Eduardo.
Recognize Dara Renee? She's made recurring appearances on "Black-ish," popped up on "The Kids Are Alright" and had a role in the 2018 TV movie version of "Freaky Friday." The actress plays Kourtney on "High School Musical: The Musical – The Series."
Big Red is played by Larry Saperstein. He previously appeared on an episode of "The First Wives Club" and in the TV movie "Fan Girl" with Kiernan Shipka.
Mark St. Cyr plays Mr. Mazzara on this unique "High School Musical" reboot. He's had roles in the 2017 flick "Marshall" and on TV shows like "Doomsday" and "Chicago P.D."
