Summary
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will release all eight episodes of its final season at once on August 9th.
- The spinoff series will feature original High School Musical cast members and give fans a chance to be featured extras in High School Musical 4.
- Kylie Cantrall plays the role of Dani, a modern-day mean girl, and had the opportunity to work with members of the original cast.
Disney+ has opted to drop all eight episodes of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series at once on Wednesday, August 9th. While the show's fourth season will be its last, the spinoff series won't be going out without a bang. As the ultimate homage to fans of the original franchise, the Wildcats receive the opportunity to be featured extras in High School Musical 4, with Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Lucas Grabeel, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed​, and Kaycee Stroh all slated to return.
Kylie Cantrall plays the role of Dani, the show's new "mean girl" and a modern-day take on Sharpay Evans. However, this isn't Cantrall's first time collaborating with Disney. The actress has also worked on projects such as Raven's Home, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., and Gabby Duran & The Unsittables. Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Kate Reinders, Liamani Segura, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, and Julia Lester will all return as series regulars for season 4.
Kylie Cantrall chats exclusively with Screen Rant about working with the original High School Musical cast and bringing her character, Dani, to life during the show's final episodes. Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Kylie Cantrall Talks High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 4
Screen Rant: You're coming in during the final season of the series, so were you a fan of the show beforehand?
Kylie Cantrall: Yes, of course. I remember tuning in from the first episode of the first season it launched on Disney+. There was just so much hype around the show. And, of course, I had known of Olivia [Rodrigo] and Sofia Wylie as previous Disney girls as well. It's a very tight circle, so I feel like we all kind of know of each other. But I've been watching since the first episode, and I've kept up with every season since. I think it's a great show.
What about the original High School Musical movies?
Kylie Cantrall: Oh my gosh, yes. I was literally obsessed. I thought I was Gabriella. The first ones were a little early for me because I was still practically in diapers when the first movie came out, but the one that I really, vividly remember is the third movie. That was on repeat in my house.
How was working with members of the original cast?
Kylie Cantrall: So cool. It was super iconic to be able to meet Corbin [Bleu] and Monique Coleman. There was a moment when I was in the makeup trailer, and I was sitting next to Monique, and it was the first time that I had seen her. I was like, "Oh my gosh! I loved you!" She was just so, so sweet, and we chatted for a little bit. It was a really special moment. But they're so, so sweet.
In addition to being an actor, you're also a musician. What do you love most about these opportunities that allow you to combine both crafts?
Kylie Cantrall: It's definitely a dream come true getting to combine the two worlds and my two favorite facets of what I do. I think it's so cool getting to combine it. I feel like it's any musician's dream to be in a musical, so High School Musical is just a dream come true.
What's the first thing that stood out to you about Dani when you were getting to know this character and reading the script?
Kylie Cantrall: I just love the fact that she's a bit of a mean girl. [Laughs] That really stood out to me in the beginning. I've always been a fan of "mean girl" characters. Sharpay, of course, is one of my favorites from the original High School Musical, and obviously Regina George from Mean Girls. Those were definitely two of the characters that I pulled inspiration from when I was getting to know Dani and creating the character. That was kind of my inspiration initially. I would say that was probably the most exciting part about her. I've never played a spicy character like this before, so it was really cool getting to tap into this character.
Tim Federle is known for being super collaborative with his actors. Was there anything you wanted to bring to Dani that wasn't necessarily on the page?
Kylie Cantrall: He's so collaborative, which I love. Any idea I had, I could bring to him and text him the night before and be like, "Oh, I want to try this tomorrow on set," and he'd be like, "Yeah, totally down." He's super collaborative in that way. I just love the fact that he was really into giving Dani layers and making her multidimensional and not just a cookie-cutter villain character. I think that's something that's cool about Dani throughout the season. We really see these different sides to her and that she's not just this girl with a sassy attitude. She also has insecurities of her own, and she goes through all these different changes and definitely has an arc throughout the season. That was something that was super important to Tim and also to me—that I got the chance to kind of show all those different layers of Dani.
I'm really enjoying the friendship between Dani and Kourtney. What's your favorite thing about their dynamic?
Kylie Cantrall: First of all, I love Dara Reneé as a human, so it was very easy to have that dynamic with her, especially because we get along so well off-set. It was really cool getting to share so many of my scenes with her. She just had the best energy. I love that they're so different too. Kourtney and Dani are very opposite, but they balance each other out in a way. It's just really cool seeing their dynamic throughout the season and how it totally flips on its head [versus] how it started off. That's a cool friendship that they have for sure.
Do you have a favorite aspect of the season or anything that you haven't seen the show do in the past?
Kylie Cantrall: Of course, you're going to get all of the classic High School Musical dances. I think the music is so nostalgic, because we're doing all the songs from High School Musical 3, and it's really bringing it back, which I think is so cool because, obviously, it's nostalgic for people that are fans of the original movies. But even if you're not familiar with the original movies, the songs are just that good that you're just going to love them anyway. So I think it's just great dance numbers, amazing song renditions, and a lot of drama. We love the drama. We definitely get a lot of that this season.
What about a favorite character? Who stood out to you most over the course of the series?
Kylie Cantrall: I would say my favorite character is probably Carlos. Honestly, Frankie Rodriguez is one of the funniest humans I've ever met. You definitely have that same comedic timing and wit off-camera as well.
What's your takeaway from this experience? We're obviously in a world full of reboots and revivals, so is this a project you would want to come back to, if possible?
Kylie Cantrall: Of course. This was just such a dream come true to be a part of. Obviously, it's such an iconic legacy with these movies and this franchise. Honestly, just how sweet the dynamic is off of set as well. All the cast is so welcoming, and they really welcomed me with open arms, which was just so, so kind of them. I'm definitely going to miss it. I hope it's not the end! I think it is for this run, but maybe there is some sort of spin-off or something that could come back. Fingers crossed, for sure.
About High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 4
After an epic summer at Camp Shallow Lake, the Wildcats return to East High where they prepare a stage production of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” But plans are disrupted when Principal Gutierrez announces that Disney has decided to make the long-awaited “High School Musical 4: The Reunion” movie on location at their beloved high school, and the Wildcats will play featured extras in the movie.
Check out our other interviews with the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series here:
All 8 episodes of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 4 premiere Wednesday, August 9 on Disney+.