High School Musical 2

Plot

The school year ends with everyone at East High looking forward to summer vacation ("What Time Is It?"). Troy Bolton is still dating Gabriella Montez, who decides to stay in Albuquerque with her mother. Troy eventually decides to look for a summer job to gain money for college.


Sharpay and Ryan Evans plan to spend the summer at their family's country club, Lava Springs ("Fabulous"), but Sharpay's summer plans also include pursuing Troy, whom she has arranged for to be hired at the club. However, Troy convinces the club's manager Thomas Fulton into hiring Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, and the entire Wildcats basketball team. Sharpay is enraged upon learning that Gabriella is working as one of the lifeguards but is unable to get her fired, so she orders Fulton to give them difficult tasks so they would want to quit. Fulton attempts to intimidate the group but Troy rebuilds their confidence and convinces them that they can persevere ("Work This Out").


Troy continues to worry about funding for college. Sharpay senses his need and arranges for Troy to be hired as a caddy and to play with the University of Albuquerque's basketball team, hoping that this will convince him to sing with her at the talent show. Meanwhile, Kelsi writes a song for Troy and Gabriella and they agree to sing with their friends in the show ("You Are the Music in Me"), not knowing that Sharpay is vying for his attention and does not want the Wildcats to participate in the show. In the extended version, Sharpay and Ryan trap Troy as he prepares for a date with Gabriella by rehearsing their song ("Humuhumunukunukuapua'a"), much to Troy's annoyance.


Ryan realizes he does not mean much to Sharpay anymore, as she is ready to blow her brother aside for the opportunity to perform with Troy. This leads to tensions between the siblings, and Ryan angrily informs Sharpay that he will no longer obey her orders. Taylor and Gabriella invite Ryan to a staff baseball game, where he persuades the Wildcats to take part in the talent show ("I Don't Dance").


Troy and Gabriella's relationship is strained when Troy sees Ryan with Gabriella, sparking jealousy. Chad expresses disappointment at Troy for abandoning his friends after being promoted by Sharpay; this also created animosity between Troy and the Wildcats. Owing to a "promise" from Troy, Sharpay rehearse another song for the talent show with him ("You Are the Music in Me (Sharpay Version)").


When Sharpay discovers that Ryan and the Wildcats are putting together their own performance in the show, she orders Fulton to ban all junior staff members from performing. Gabriella confronts Sharpay about her interference and quits from Lava Springs. Troy overhears their conversation and tries to persuade Gabriella to change her mind. Gabriella expresses her loss of trust with Troy ("Gotta Go My Own Way"), leaves Lava Springs, and returns her necklace, which he had given to her on the last day of school. At home, Troy explains to his father about the situation, and begins to regret his actions.


Troy returns to work the next day to find that his friends still refuse to talk to him, while Kelsi silently shows Troy the notice from Fulton, causing Troy to question his own motivations ("Bet on It") and learns that Sharpay has been manipulating him. Troy informs Sharpay that he will not sing with her, and reconciles with the Wildcats. They convince him to perform, which he does only under the condition that they are all allowed to perform as well.


At Sharpay's supposed instruction, Ryan gives Troy a new song to learn moments before the show. As Troy goes onstage, he asks Sharpay why she switched the song, and Sharpay is shocked to find that her brother tricked her. Troy performs the song ("Everyday") and reunites with Gabriella as the Wildcats joins them onstage, while Sharpay presents Ryan with the award for the talent show. After the talent show, the Wildcats go to the golf course to enjoy the fireworks ("You Are the Music In Me (Reprise)") and everyone in Lava Springs celebrates the end of summer with a pool party the next day ("All for One").

Additionally, Alyson Reed reprises her role from the first film as Ms. Darbus, as do Chris Warren Jr., Ryne Sanborn, Olesya Rulin, and Kaycee Stroh as students Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross, Kelsi Nielsen, and Martha Cox, respectively.


The Sharpettes, Jackie, Lea and Emma, are played by Tanya Chisholm, Kelli Baker and McCall Clark, respectively. Leslie Wing Pomeroy reprises her role as Troy's mother Lucille. Director Kenny Ortega's dog Manly "Little Pickles" Ortega plays Sharpay's Yorkshire Terrier Boi, and Miley Cyrus makes a cameo appearance as a pool party attendee at the end of the film.

Like its predecessor, High School Musical 2 has been adapted into two different theatrical productions: a one-act, 70-minute version and a two-act full-length production. This stage production includes the song "Hummuhummunukunukuapua'a" that was left out of the original movie but included in the DVD. Through Music Theater International, Disney Theatrical began licensing the theatrical rights in October 2008. MTI had originally recruited 7 schools to serve as tests for the new full-length adaptation, but due to complications with multiple drafts of both the script and the score, all but two schools were forced to drop out of the pilot program.