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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 14, 2008

More to know about 'High School Musical'

 •  Talented teens giddy over lead roles in 'Musical'

By Kawehi Haug
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

How could there possibly be anything else to know about "High School Musical"? You've seen it, like, 100 times! But for the less obsessed, here's a list of HSM trivia:

• The film is based on a 1999 script titled "Grease 3." In the script, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were to star as the kids of Danny Zucko and Sandy Olsson from the 1978 film "Grease."

• "High School Musical" was just the working title for the film until a better name could be decided on. That never happened, and producers unwillingly agreed to call it "High School Musical."

• Matthew Underwood (Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101") was the producers' first choice to play Troy Bolton, and Cassie Steele ("Degrassi: The Next Generation") was originally cast as Gabriella Montez. Both actors were unable to do the film because of schedule conflicts.

• Lead actor Zac Efron doesn't do his own singing. His tenor is courtesy of fellow teen actor Andrew Seeley. Producers thought Efron's own voice was too low to match the role.

• The soundtrack to "High School Musical" was the best-selling album of 2006.

— Kawehi Haug

Three questions for Kyle McCraw and Jana Souza, also known as Troy and Gabriella:

1. What's your favorite "HSM" song?

McCraw: Oh! There's so many! But I would have to say "Breaking Free," because it describes how I feel when I'm on stage.

Souza: I'm a hopeless romantic, so it would be between "When There Was Me and You" and "I can't Take My Eyes Off of You."

2. In your real life, which Eastside High clique best describes you: jocks, brainiacs, thespians or skater dudes?

McCraw: Definitely not jocks! I guess I'm part brainiac, part thespian.

Souza: I'm a little brainiac, a little jock, but mostly thespian.

3. You both want to be actors; what's your dream role?

McCraw: Any part in "Phantom of the Opera"! That's my biggest dream. And I want to play Linc Larkin in "Hairspray."

Souza: Elphaba from "Wicked." That's my favorite musical of all time. I had chicken skin the whole time I was watching it. If I could do that to an audience, it would be amazing!

Reach Kawehi Haug at khaug@honoluluadvertiser.com.