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It’s been more than two years since the High School Musical kids graduated from East High and went their separate ways—and, since then, fans of the franchise have been left to find something else to fill that over-the-top teen musical void. Fortunately for those loyal fans, Disney Channel faithful Ashley Tisdale has stuck around long enough to reprise her role as pampered princess Sharpay Evans in her very own movie, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.
Almost a year after graduation, Sharpay is still trying to “find herself.” But when she meets a New York casting agent who’s working on a new Broadway production, she decides to move to the Big Apple, where she’s convinced that stardom awaits. Her father (Robert Curtis Brown) doesn’t think she’s ready to take such a big step, but he agrees to let her go on one condition: if she can’t prove herself in a month, she’ll come home and work at his country club.
When Sharpay arrives in New York, nothing goes as planned. She’s kicked out of her fabulous penthouse, and she finds out that the big Broadway production wants her dog, Boi—not her. But, with some help and encouragement from her new friend, Peyton (Austin Butler), she’s determined to follow her dreams.
In Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Tisdale’s Sharpay finds herself playing a strange new role: the protagonist. In the High School Musical movies, Sharpay was always the villain—the trouble-making character that fans loved to hate. But now the tables have turned—and East High’s drama queen finds herself on the other end of the rivalries and manipulation. Really, though, it’s a pretty smooth transition. After all, Sharpay was never an especially malevolent villain. Sure, she pulled out all the stops to keep herself in the spotlight—even if it meant lying, scheming, and using people to make it happen. But her over-the-top antics were always so entertaining (not to mention ineffective) that you couldn’t help but love watching her in action.
Now, in the starring role, Sharpay is still as outrageously overdone as ever. She’s spoiled and silly and blindly optimistic (Of course some no-name kid from Albuquerque can get a starring role on Broadway in just a month!). Her outfits are poofy and sparkly and totally unreal. And she’s constantly bossing everybody around. While she may not be an especially admirable character, though, she’s definitely an entertaining one—and, of course, she eventually learns some valuable lessons about dedication, friendship, and success.
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure is pretty typical Disney Channel fare. The story is unrealistic and predictable and totally campy. And, this time around, the musical numbers aren’t nearly as memorable as many of those from the original HSM movies. But young Disney Channel fans (especially those who have always loved East High’s singing, dancing villain) will still enjoy the opportunity to catch up with an old friend.
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