High School Musical took over 7.7 million TV screens in the United States when it premiered in 2006, making it the highest-rated Disney Channel Original Movie at the time. The film followed basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and an intelligent transfer student, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), as they break the status quo of East High School by auditioning for the spring musical, much to drama duo Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan Evans' (Lucas Grabeel) displeasure.