<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="description" content="Predictions are always dangerous, especially in an election year, but if you are the parent or guardian of a child between the ages of 6 and 16, there is a trip to the cineplex in your very near" /><meta name="keywords" content="high school musical 3 (movie)" /><title> 'Hsm' 101 - Los Angeles Times</title><link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/favicon.ico" /><link rel="canonical" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/23/entertainment/et-musical23" /><script src="/tracker.js.php?3e4e5f6e874f3a76f823831bfbd39c97813e3777" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">setCookie("pmk_tn", "ap-LA7-G02", 3600); var sessId = getCookie("sessid"); if (!sessId) { sessId = guid(); setCookie("sessid", sessId, 3600); } var uuId = getCookie("uuid"); if (!uuId) { uuId = sessId; setCookie("uuid", uuId, (60*60*24*30*12*24)); } var traffic_provider = getParamFromPMCookie("s"); if(!traffic_provider) { traffic_provider = derive_traffic_provider(); putParamIntoPMCookie("s", traffic_provider); } var traffic_type = getParamFromPMCookie("n"); if(!traffic_type) { traffic_type = derive_traffic_type(); putParamIntoPMCookie("n", traffic_type); } var referring_domain = getParamFromPMCookie("rd"); if(!referring_domain) { referring_domain = get_referring_domain(); putParamIntoPMCookie("rd", referring_domain); } var tracSessParams = "sessid="+sessId+"&uuid="+uuId+"&s="+traffic_provider+"&n="+traffic_type+"&rd="+referring_domain; var query = get_query(); if(query) { tracSessParams = tracSessParams + "&q=" + query; } var referring_url = get_referring_url(); if(referring_url) { tracSessParams = tracSessParams + "&ru=" + encode(referring_url); } var user_agent = navigator.userAgent; if(user_agent) { tracSessParams = tracSessParams + "&ua=" + encode(user_agent); } </script><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/ap-LA7-G02.css?3e4e5f6e874f3a76f823831bfbd39c97813e3777" media="all" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Los Angeles Times Articles" /><script type="text/javascript">function downloadJSAtOnload(){var element, js;element=document.createElement("script");element.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript");element.setAttribute("src", "/ad-feedback.js.php?3e4e5f6e874f3a76f823831bfbd39c97813e3777");document.body.appendChild(element);element=document.createElement("script");element.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript");element.setAttribute("src", "/ad-openx.php?out=js&d=mod-top-hdr-defer&z-i=24809&z-n=top-leaderboard&i-w=728&i-h=90&i-e=pi%3D34%26amp%3Bcat%3Dentertainment%26amp%3Btv%3Dap-LA7-G02%26amp%3Bci%3D4317398%26amp%3Bpm_mode%3Dp%26amp%3Btn_kw%3Deast%2Bhigh%3Ahigh%2Bschool%3Aalbuquerque%2527s%2Beast%2Bhigh%2Bbasketball%26amp%3Brn_kw%3Deast%2Bhigh%3Aeast%2Bhigh%3Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%3Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%3Aschool%2Bmusical%26amp%3Bsubj%3D%252Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%2B3%2B%2528movie%2529&i-s=pgtp%3Darticle%26pi%3D34%26ci%3D4317398%26cat%3Dentertainment%26pe_id%3D4317398%26tv%3Dap-LA7-G02");document.body.appendChild(element);element=document.createElement("script");element.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript");element.setAttribute("src", "/ad-openx.php?out=js&d=mod-ctr-rt-in-top-defer&z-i=25603&z-n=inline-right-top-med-rect&i-w=300&i-h=250&i-e=pi%3D34%26amp%3Bcat%3Dentertainment%26amp%3Btv%3Dap-LA7-G02%26amp%3Bci%3D4317398%26amp%3Bpm_mode%3Dp%26amp%3Btn_kw%3Deast%2Bhigh%3Ahigh%2Bschool%3Aalbuquerque%2527s%2Beast%2Bhigh%2Bbasketball%26amp%3Brn_kw%3Deast%2Bhigh%3Aeast%2Bhigh%3Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%3Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%3Aschool%2Bmusical%26amp%3Bsubj%3D%252Ahigh%2Bschool%2Bmusical%2B3%2B%2528movie%2529&i-s=pgtp%3Darticle%26pi%3D34%26ci%3D4317398%26cat%3Dentertainment%26pe_id%3D4317398%26tv%3Dap-LA7-G02%26rna%3Dpub-0227802054925200%26rn%3Dg%26rnrci%3D5212128158%26rnrcn%3DCMI-A-002%26rncci%3D6138855783%26rnccn%3DCMI-A-009%26rnpci%3D%26rnpcn%3D%26rntci%3D%26rntcn%3D%26rnlci%3D4627759051%26rnlcn%3D4627759051%26rnp%3Dc%26rt%3Dcpc");document.body.appendChild(element);}if (window.addEventListener){window.addEventListener("load", downloadJSAtOnload, false);}else if (window.attachEvent){window.attachEvent("onload", downloadJSAtOnload);}else window.onload = downloadJSAtOnload;</script></head><body><!-- Layout starts --><div id="layout"><!-- Area starts: top --><div id="area-top" style=""><div id="mod-top-hdr" style="" class="mod-adopenx mod-adblock"><!-- Module starts: top-hdr (AdOpenx) --><center><div><div class="ad_header">Advertisement</div><!-- zone: top-leaderboard (728x90) --><div id="mod-top-hdr-defer" style="width:728px;height:90px;"><script type="text/javascript"> /* Javascript deferred */ </script></div></div><!-- Module ends: top-hdr--></center></div><div id="mod-logo" style="float:left;" class="mod-image"><!-- Module starts: logo (Image) --><a href="http://www.latimes.com"><img src="/pm-imgs/header.gif" width="980" height="40" alt="Los Angeles Times Articles"/></a><!-- Module ends: logo--></div><div id="mod-breadcrumb" style="" class="mod-latarticlesarticlepagebreadcrumb mod-articlepagebreadcrumb mod-breadcrumb"><!-- Module starts: breadcrumb (ArticlePageBreadcrumb) -->YOU ARE HERE: <span class="home-link"><a href="http://www.latimes.com">LAT Home</a></span><span class="bread-crumb-separator">→</span><span class="archive-link"><a href="/">Collections</a></span><span class="bread-crumb-separator">→</span><span class="keyword"><a href="/keyword/high-school-musical-3-movie">High School Musical 3 (movie)</a></span><!-- Module ends: breadcrumb--></div></div><!-- Area ends: top--><!-- Area starts: center-w-left --><div id="area-center-w-left" style=""><div id="mod-article-header" style="" class="mod-latarticlesarticleheader mod-articleheader mod-articleheader-with-kicker"><!-- Module starts: article-header (ArticleHeader-with-kicker) --><h1> 'Hsm' 101 </h1><h2> A crash course in 'High School Musical 3' for you, the chaperon.</h2><h2 class="kicker">AT THE MOVIES</h2><!-- Module ends: article-header--></div><div id="mod-article-byline" style="" class="mod-latarticlesarticlebyline mod-articlebyline"><!-- Module starts: article-byline (ArticleByline) --><span class="pubdate">October 23, 2008</span><span class="separator">|</span>Mary McNamara<span></span>, TELEVISION CRITIC<!-- Module ends: article-byline--></div><div id="mod-a-body-first-para" style="" class="mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext"><!-- Module starts: a-body-first-para (ArticleText) --><p>Predictions are always dangerous, especially in an election year, but if you are the parent or guardian of a child between the ages of 6 and 16, there is a trip to the cineplex in your very near future. In case you have somehow missed the magazine covers, billboards and general near-hysteria publicity, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," the third installment in the ridiculously successful Disney television-movie franchise, is a feature film, opening Friday. In a theater near you. Following the hopes, dreams and, of course, schemes and struggles of the now-famous cast of characters as they approach graduation, "High School Musical 3" is also a poignant parting of ways for a group of actors who catapulted to fame with the audience-inclusive mantra, and hit song, "We're All in This Together."</p><!-- Module ends: a-body-first-para--></div><div class="float" style="clear:both;"><img src="/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="" /></div><div id="mod-ctr-lt-in-top" style="float:left;" class="mod-adcpc"><!-- Module starts: ctr-lt-in-top (AdCpc) --><script type="text/javascript"> var adSkipCounter = 0; </script><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "east high high school musical school musical real school high school";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200";google_ad_output="js";google_ad_channel="5212128158,6138855783,4627759051";google_ad_type="text,image";google_image_size="300x250";google_safe="high";google_feedback="on";google_max_num_ads="4";google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + "";google_adtest="off";google_page_url=document.URL;function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "medium_rectangle", "", "false", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=4317398&cat=entertainment&pe_id=4317398&tv=ap-LA7-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=6138855783&rnccn=CMI-A-009&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=4627759051&rnlcn=4627759051&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=ctr-lt-in-top", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA7-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles", "545454");}//]]></script><script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><!-- Module ends: ctr-lt-in-top--></div><div id="mod-ctr-rt-in-top" style="float:right;" class="mod-adopenx mod-adblock"><!-- Module starts: ctr-rt-in-top (AdOpenx) --><div style="float:right;"><div class="ad_header">Advertisement</div><!-- zone: inline-right-top-med-rect (300x250) --><div id="mod-ctr-rt-in-top-defer" style="width:300px;height:250px;"><script type="text/javascript"> /* Javascript deferred */ </script></div></div><!-- Module ends: ctr-rt-in-top--></div><div class="float" style="clear:both;"><img src="/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="" /></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para" style="" class="mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext"><!-- Module starts: a-body-after-first-para (ArticleText) --><p>If history is any sort of barometer, this means not only serious popcorn expenditures but also that soon your house will be ringing with peppy songs suitable for either copycat or freestyle choreography and conversations in which the names Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and Chad, not to mention Zac, Vanessa, Ashley and Corbin, will occur with alarming frequency. Many of you, no doubt, are fully prepared. Many of you are old hands at the "High School Musical" experience -- the opening night parties, the fights over who "gets to be" Gabriella, the muttered masculine admissions from older brothers that Troy and Chad are "kinda cool."</p><p>Still, it's a lot to keep track of, all those characters and the actors who play them, the whole biosphere of East High and the ethos of the Wildcats. So for those who don't have time to revisit the first and second films but still want to be part of the conversation, we've prepared a short primer. And yes, this will all be on the final.</p><p>Troy and Gabriella</p><p>At the heart of "High School Musical" are these two young lovers played by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Troy is the captain of Albuquerque's East High basketball team, which is coached by his father (and that this is never perceived as a problem by anyone indicates the fairy-tale world of East High). Gabriella is an A-plus student with a scientific bent, the child of a single mother who has had to move around a lot for her job.</p><!-- Module ends: a-body-after-first-para--></div><div id="mod-ctr-in-bt" style="" class="mod-adcpc"><!-- Module starts: ctr-in-bt (AdCpc) --><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "east high high school musical school musical real school high school";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200";google_ad_output="js";google_ad_channel="5212128158,6138855783,4627759051";google_ad_type="text,image";google_image_size="728x90";google_safe="high";google_feedback="on";google_max_num_ads="4";google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + "";google_adtest="off";google_page_url=document.URL;function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "leaderboard", "", "false", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=4317398&cat=entertainment&pe_id=4317398&tv=ap-LA7-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=6138855783&rnccn=CMI-A-009&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=4627759051&rnlcn=4627759051&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=ctr-in-bt", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA7-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles", "545454");}//]]></script><script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><!-- Module ends: ctr-in-bt--></div><div id="mod-pagination" style="" class="mod-pagination"><!-- Module starts: pagination (Pagination) --><div class="pagination"><center><span class="next_url" >1</span><span class="pagination_sep" > | </span><span class="next_url" ><a href="/2008/oct/23/entertainment/et-musical23/2">2</a></span><span class="pagination_sep" > | </span><span class="next_url" ><a href="/2008/oct/23/entertainment/et-musical23/3">3</a></span><span class="pagination_sep" > | </span><span class="next_url" ><a href="/2008/oct/23/entertainment/et-musical23/4">4</a></span><span class="pagination_sep" > | </span><span class="next_url" ><a href="/2008/oct/23/entertainment/et-musical23/2"> Next</a></span></center></div><!-- Module ends: pagination--></div></div><!-- Area ends: center-w-left--><!-- Area starts: left --><div id="area-left" style=""><div id="mod-left-sky" style="" class="mod-adcpc"><!-- Module starts: left-sky (AdCpc) --><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "east high high school musical school musical real school high school";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200";google_ad_output="js";google_ad_channel="5212128158,6138855783,4627759051";google_ad_type="text,image";google_image_size="160x600";google_safe="high";google_feedback="on";google_max_num_ads="5";google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + "";google_adtest="off";google_page_url=document.URL;function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "wide_skyscraper", "", "false", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=4317398&cat=entertainment&pe_id=4317398&tv=ap-LA7-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=6138855783&rnccn=CMI-A-009&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=4627759051&rnlcn=4627759051&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=left-sky", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA7-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles", "545454");}//]]></script><script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><!-- Module ends: left-sky--></div><div id="mod-related-keywords" style="" class="mod-relatedkeywordssimplelist mod-relatedkeywords"><!-- Module starts: related-keywords (RelatedKeywordsSimpleList) --><div class="header">FIND MORE STORIES ABOUT</div><ul><li><a href="/keyword/high-school-musical-3-movie">High School Musical 3 (movie)</a></li></ul><!-- Module ends: related-keywords--></div></div><!-- Area ends: left--><!-- Area starts: bottom --><div id="area-bottom" style=""><div id="mod-ln-bt" style="" class="mod-line"><!-- Module starts: ln-bt (Line) --><div style="border-top:3px solid black; height:1px; width:100%;"></div><!-- Module ends: ln-bt--></div><div id="mod-logo-bt" style="float:left;" class="mod-image"><!-- Module starts: logo-bt (Image) --><img src="/pm-imgs/footer.gif" width="174" height="23" alt="Los Angeles Times Articles"/><!-- Module ends: logo-bt--></div><div id="mod-copyright" style="float:left;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: copyright (Text) -->Copyright 2010 Los Angeles Times<!-- Module ends: copyright--></div><div id="mod-tos" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: tos (Text) --><a href="http://www.latimes.com/terms" target="_new" rel="nofollow" >Terms of Service</a><!-- Module ends: tos--></div><div id="mod-pipe-bt-3" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: pipe-bt-3 (Text) -->|<!-- Module ends: pipe-bt-3--></div><div id="mod-privacy" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: privacy (Text) --><a href="http://www.latimes.com/privacypolicy" target="_new" rel="nofollow" >Privacy Policy</a><!-- Module ends: privacy--></div><div id="mod-pipe-bt-2" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: pipe-bt-2 (Text) -->|<!-- Module ends: pipe-bt-2--></div><div id="mod-date-index" style="float:right;" class="mod-indexbydate mod-text"><!-- Module starts: date-index (IndexByDate) --><a href="/2008/oct/23" target="_new" >Index by Date</a><!-- Module ends: date-index--></div><div id="mod-pipe-bt" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: pipe-bt (Text) -->|<!-- Module ends: pipe-bt--></div><div id="mod-kw-index" style="float:right;" class="mod-text"><!-- Module starts: kw-index (Text) --><a href="/keywords" target="_new" >Index by Keyword</a><!-- Module ends: kw-index--></div><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> var s_account = "triblatarticlesprod";</script><!-- SiteCatalyst code version: H.1.Copyright 1997-2005 Omniture, Inc. More info available athttp://www.omniture.com --><script type="text/javascript" src="/omniture/js/s_code_la.js.php"></script><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> s.pageName="Latimes.com / entertainment / news / archives - **PM** hsm 101 br a crash course in high sc - story."; s.prop38="story"; s.eVar21="story"; s.server="articles.latimes.com"; s.channel="Latimes.com:entertainment:news"; s.prop3=""; s.prop21="Latimes.com / entertainment / news / archives - story."; s.prop28=""; s.prop32=""; s.prop36=""; s.prop37="";/* E-commerce Variables */ s.events=""; s.eVar20="Latimes.com:entertainment:news"; s.hier1="Latimes.com:entertainment:news:archives"; s.hier2="entertainment:news:archives"; s.hier4="entertainment:news:archives"; s.eVar42="Mary McNamara, TELEVISION CRITIC"; s.prop44="et-musical23";//AD Block Detection//Description: Check if any IMG, IFRAME, or SCRIPT elements are ad blocked (set to not display).// Also check for the occurance of any Norton installed code to block popups or ads ( ie.)SymError ).// Only need to find 1 occurrance of any of the above to confirm ad blocking is used.// No need to continue searching through other portions of the page.var imgArray = document.images;var iframeArray = document.getElementsByTagName("iframe");var scriptArray = document.getElementsByTagName("script");var isAdBlocked = 0;if(window.SymError || window.SymWinOpen || window.SymRealWinOpen) { isAdBlocked=1;}if (!isAdBlocked) { for (var i=0; i<imgArray.length; i++) { if(imgArray[i].style.display == "none") { isAdBlocked=1; break; } }}if (!isAdBlocked) { for (var j=0; j<iframeArray.length; j++) { if (iframeArray[j].style.display == "none") { isAdBlocked=1; break; } }}if (!isAdBlocked) { for (var j=0; j<scriptArray.length; j++) { if (scriptArray[j].style.display == "none") { isAdBlocked=1; break; } }}if(isAdBlocked) { s.prop50="ad blocking";}/************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)--></script><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"><!--if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE")>=0)document.write(unescape("%3C")+"\!-"+"-")//--></script><!--/DO NOT REMOVE/--><!-- End SiteCatalyst code version: H.1. --><script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script><script type="text/javascript"> try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7521054-1"); pageTracker._setVar('Template-ap-LA7-G02'); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}</script></div><!-- Area ends: bottom--></div><!-- Layout ends --><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ document.write("<iframe onload=\"params='"+window.tracSessParams+"&pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=4317398&cat=entertainment&pe_id=4317398&tv=ap-LA7-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=6138855783&rnccn=CMI-A-009&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=4627759051&rnlcn=4627759051&rnp=c&rt=cpc&pageLoad=1';tracker();params='';\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"postion:absolute;display:none;overflow-x:hidden;overflow-y:scroll;\"></iframe>"); //]]> </script></body></html>