Starring KayCee Stroh as Martha Cox in “High School Musical”

Welcome back everybody to this Park Hopper episode of Magical Rewind and we are pretty excited because we're all in this together. We know that we've known that now from the beginning. We know that doubly now because, of course we are here to cover the best sequel in the history of the world, My Date with the President's Daughter to Halle's Revenge. No, I'm kidding, that is not not

That bore my thing.

Everybody knows they're my jam. That's just when people randomly break into song that there's no possible way they could know how to the lyrics of the dance I'm in. But yes, of course this is the one. This is the one. Though This and Cheetah Girls are really starting to change my mind. But then we got into zombies, and then of course I was wearing the zombie shirt

I don't actually know. I knew she was in both of them, but I'm not quite sure about three because I don't I have never seen three.

She's right, she's also like firmly in your wheelhouse of oh Man.

She known so much for obviously her role in this, but what she's doing now. She is on TikTok on Instagram. I mean, this girl does not stop dancing. I love it. I'm here for it, and I cannot wait to do this interview. It's going to be such a good one.

That is so much fun, So please everyone help us. Welcome Casey Strow. Hello, Hello, thank you so much for joining us.

Yes, no, thank you for having me.

We are just so excited to talk to you because we just recapped the phenomenon that is High School Musical two. No joke. I am a recent transfer to East High I had never seen it before.

Oh, welcome to the families.

So I know we're all in this together, but I had it took it took a while to get there for me. So just thank you for joining us to talk to us about how this juggernaut came to be. This is absolutely incredible. I think we just start with the basic how did you first hear about school Musical one? We'll get to two, but we got to start at the beginning, right, How did you hear about this? How did you get the role? What did you have to do to get the role? And your tree looks gorgeous?

Just for the record, Oh, thank you, thank you. I know I love all holidays.

I have a crazy obsession with decorating, so thank you for noticing.

I appreciate that.

But yes, my story is really a crazy one and very very unique. I grew up in the dance world as a dancer from a really young age. I started dancing at like age two because my big sisters were at the dance studio all the time. So yeah, I grew up in the competitive dance world, hardcore, and then about like fourth grade, I tried out for Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and that was the first time that I.

Ever discovered that you could act, dancing and dance at the same time. And it was like my life's mission. So that's like where it started for me.

And then I ran in I was like eighteen nineteen at the time, and I ran into an old choreographer, the wonderful Bonnie Story, who had done a piece at my dance studio, and she said, you know, I've been hired to do this little Disney project. It's untitled, but they did mention that they wanted, you know, people to audition of all shapes and sizes and colors and everything to be backup dancers.

And that's so rare as you can imagine growing up, you know, a thicker girl, a plus sized girl in the dance industry.

It was not always welcoming, you know, and even in theater it roles were very limited.

And so at the time I was teaching dance.

I was teaching dances like a few different studios around Salt Lake Valley, and.

I just had a feeling.

I was like what if, Like what if this could finally be the way that I that I break in. And I took my students to the audition to get them like a real true experience, and I was like, I mean, I think I I think I look young enough. I'm going to give it a shot. So I took my headshot and my resume and I walked in and I was one of five hundred there that.

Day to audition just to be backup dancers. Just wow.

So it was just like an open call that they had for anyone that wanted to come out, just an open call.

I was literally the last group to go, and I had like this life changing moment. After I auditioned, Kenny Ortega stopped the music and he walked over to me and he grabbed my hand and he said, I love you.

You're different, and I was it, like that was it. And then he was like do you sing?

Do you act?

Like yeah, yeah, I look at my resume here, I did all this local this local work in theater, you know, And he was like I have looked all over for our Martha.

We We've audished in LA, We've audished in New York.

And I just didn't feel like we founder and I think you were hiding here in little Utah. And so yeah, that is how I ended up auditioning for the part. And they brought me into casting. They they literally handed me script. I had like four minutes with.

It, Oh my gosh.

And then and then they put me on tape and so the original like pop and lock and jam and.

Break was just me like ad libbat oh wow, Like I didn't know what movement they wanted.

And then they handed me the song like a little CD player.

I got to listen to it for like five minutes and they're like, all right, we're gonna record it and send it to Disney.

Oh my gosh.

I was like, oh my god, wow, my life. So yeah, I was like a baptism by this.

All in one day. You came into Okay, okay.

So I did.

Yeah, callback was at least, you know, I had some time. In fact, it was almost painful. I had too much time. It was like two weeks and I was like, why did.

They calling back?

I was like, why did I might have this like life altering moment of like, yeah, I'm different for a reason and it was all meant to be and then like cricket, cricket.

Yeah, welcome industry, Yeah exactly.

So it's super painful.

But then yeah, I ended up being the very last person cast because of it, and I was like three days everything was like locked and loaded and signed, and then I was on set after like after that.

So this was the dream for you. I mean, this was something that you had on vision boards. You like, you thought about it, you talked about it with your friends, everyone at your studio, that kind of idea. You've seen it in movies, you know, go into that perfect audition and damn you like you lived in.

Them.

Was like grab a pillow and scream at a pillow moments. Man, I just know how.

It would like happen for me living in Utah, and I'm very like family.

Oriented, and I well, yeah, how am I gonna?

Like?

Am I the person that's brave enough to pack up my crap and move to l A. I was always so scared of that.

And then it was we'll come to you. Don't worry about it, We'll come to you.

What's amazing is there's just a huge industry of dance out in Utah. There really was, and it was untapped, yes, for years, until I feel like it was like, so you think you could dance? And there just started becoming so many, so many amazing everything.

Disney we noticed this shot in Utah.

Yeah, but they had not really done a lot of dance stuff in Utah. Okay, high school musical, I mean between high school musical and like I said, so you think you can dance if you look at so many of the top people that end up even going from that to dancing with the stars and being the pro.

Dancers, the Julianne Julianne, Derek Huff.

Whitney, I mean, there's Jennie.

You're saying all these names I've never heard.

It's like, you know, okay with the Stars bros.

But ye will, it's a whole nother world. It is entertainment business. And then there's the entertainment business of dancers as well.

And it's just yeah, Utah really has put themselves on the map.

Asing these dancing and performing machines. And I always love it when we surprise people and it's like, you know, Derek Huff can sing.

Julianne can sing like Casey Stars, not just a dancer like I act and sing. And I think that's really really fun and was really unheard of.

I feel like before that's like dancers just stay in the dance lane.

Right, Yeah, not a lot of triple threats, not a lot of kind.

Well, that's also I think a lot of that has to do with the entire industry changing too, thankfully, because even back in the day, it was if you're a television actor, you're a television actor.

Yes.

If you're in movies, you do movies. If you're a dancer, you do dancer yees? Commercial yeah yeah, commercial commercial. Now it's they nobody wants to hire nine different people to do one thing, so they go, how what can you do? Can you do work? Oh? You can do everything? Awesome, We're gonna do with that right.

On the channel. Had you been a dcom fan before you auditioned for this, was this where you would like just a lover of that like Friday night d coom situation.

So that's what's really funny for me is I wasn't because I literally like threw my.

Full life into like acting and seeing and dancing. You guys.

Every day after school, I went straight from school to like the studio or to acting.

And I was there till like nine o'clock at night.

Wow.

And so I remember when it came out and I was like thrust into this Disney Channel world. I remember watching it for the first time and being like, oh wow, that's that's really wholesome and cheesy.

I'm wonderful. I wonder if I'll ever work again.

That's so true, that's funny.

But but then it like was this beautiful world that was unlocked to me. And I went and I watched like Halloween Town and I watched like all these.

Like classic you know, Disney Channel movies.

I'm like, what, I was sleeping on all of that, right, and you had all this joy and she's in my life.

What is when you're stuck in your the world? I'm starting to notice, especially the entertainment industry, it's all microworlds. So when you're stuck in your own microworld, whether it's dance or sitcom, whatever it is, you don't often see what's going on in some of the other little microworlds around you. And then when you jump ship into a new one, it's it just opens its own. We're doing that now with these dcoms where I'm like, look, a little kid can turn into a mermaid. I didn't know that.

Wow. So when did you get a chance to be able to meet the rest of your cast then? Was it just at the rehearsals or were you Were you ever flown to la to do anything prior to the shooting of the film.

I was not, No, nothing, nothing like that. And so it was like, literally i walk on set and I'm like, with all of these child actors who have been doing this since they came out of the womb, and I'm nineteen, and although I had had tons of experience, like with stage and theater and stuff like that, you know, when a camera's in your face, it's a whole different world. Yeah, and yeah, I'm nineteen and like Zachamanessa are like fifteen,

What was the first scene that you filmed? Was it the cafeteria scene?

Yes?

Was that the.

Very big, huge dance numbers? The first thing you did Welcome to the Show kid, Yeah, exactly. That was like day one.

So once again a lot of things for me that you know, the fans love and are so iconic. We're actually in the moment improv things and it was like come up with your own choreography on the table, Casey, like just throw it out.

There, you know. Uh yeah, and then I'm like singing live and I'm miked.

In front of all these in front of all these new people. So yeah, pressure was like really on, it was really hot.

Well, you're singing, so you're actually singing live as you're doing all the dancing, You're you're you're not singing to a track. You're actually singing, you're not lip syncing.

So we are.

We were singing to a track, but Kenny also likes to just sing why you're.

Doing it and live and everything, So yeah, I know it was it was really great.

And that was supposed to be it for my character Martha, like it was just that was her moment, that was it, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna age myself right now.

They sent in the dailies, they fed him, yes, yes, so they so.

They send in the dailies and Disney was like, oh my goodness, we love her. We wish we would have booked her sooner, and that she was throughout the show more. And so after we wrapped on that scene, I got a phone call a little bit later and they were like, Hey, there's this dance that they.

Do at the end called raw This Together.

If I just send you Bonnie's story like doing it, can you learn the dance quick and show up tomorrow and we're gonna throw you in the finale.

And I'm like, what.

Take Yeah, tell her what time. I'll be an hour early. Guys, I'll be there.

I will preport that man nice. So yeah, so and and Kenny was so kind to me.

He always was very strategic with his placement and he always just loved.

That I was a strong dancer. And he was like, I know, if I put her like right by Zach and Vanessa or like right by them, like she'll be fine right and I won't have to worry about her bess at the shop.

Okay, I got so you so we I mean, we've we all love Kenny. He's just a legend. And obviously you being a dancer, and you had to have known about this icon prior to even seeing him at this at this audition, which I'm sure made it that much more nerve racking, But what was it like for you on set with him?

So actually, that's a that's a story. That's a story, so Brita right there, that's his story in itself. So I get there. Nobody's told me it's Kenny Artega. Oh no, at that audition, I had no idea.

Oh my god, no idea.

So I am like trying to keep myself calm. I'm like, you got this.

You've done ten bazillion dance auditions in your life.

You're fine.

And some little twerp looks over at me and is like, I can't believe we're gonna dance for the man who did Newsies, And I was like.

My Christian Bale, where's Christian?

My soul up my body, my soul up my body? And then she's like.

Yeah, and hocus Pocus and like everything, and I was like, are you freaking kidding me? These are the shows like I grew up on dreaming of reviving musicals and you just tell me that, and I've gotta walk in like right now to this guy.

I was like, I could have gone a lifetime without knowing that in.

Man, that person was trying to psych you out, casey right, just that little.

I know.

But yeah, so then of course knowing that now after the audition to answer your question, Yeah, like walking in on set, like the stakes were so high for me, and it was just like all my hard work.

Since I was two years old, and all these dreams, everything I had wanted so bad. It was like, here's your one shot girl.

Like shine, you gotta shine. And I was just so grateful. I'm so blessed that Kenny loved it, Disney loved it, and then even more shockingly, after it came out, the.

Fans loved my character. And that's really who got me back. That's who got me back in high school. Usical two and three.

And so you are in three. I haven't seen it yet. I'm going in order. I haven't seen it. Okay, you are in three, aren't good? I said that to Sabrie. I'm like she had three. She's like, I'm not saying anything.

I was like, okay, okay, you'll have to watch will, but I will tell you that get even better as they go.

Two.

Yeah, we saw that with number two. I love it. I love that they are developing your stories as you go, which is one of the things I love about Kenny's work is he really goes into your character development and where you would in this in a second movie, where you would be now you know since time is passed.

Well, it's part of it. They've really made a team. There's like part of a team now and there's six or seven members of the team. You're part of the team, and it's just that's what you see.

See even a lot of the dancers. I mean, like obviously Chucky is his right hand man assistant choreographer, but like Chucky seemed like he seems like his own character. He never talks, but he's in it.

Yes, who's which one's Chucky?

Chucky was the other choreographer.

Yeah, he's another choreographer that has worked with Kenny forever. He also worked on Chetah Girls too with us. He helps choreograph and place. But in high school musical, he's in it, and he's in gets you ahead in the game. He's in it all the big Okay, So if you saw a picture of Checky and we're trying to get Chucky, we want to do an interview with CHECKI.

For sure, I'll get you Chucky gets Chucky, get us Chucky tonight.

Yes, we want to do it, just because he's really essentially a huge part of the creative you know, team and the creative you know, momentum of the movie. But he's actually to me, I feel like Chuckie's his own character, just doesn't have a name or an he doesn't talk, but he's in every major It's amazing.

It's so true.

And it's amazing that the fans like fell in love with you, didn't like yeah, with Chucky, with like the principal dancers, they all have like these backstories of who they think those characters are.

It's incredible.

It is such a cool thing.

Now I have a technical question. Now, yes, when you started the interview, so you were dancing since you were two, and then you said something about competitive dancing. Were you competitive dancing at that age?

I did my first competition at age.

Two two years ago. Okay, well that's I.

Walked down a very special moment in a production.

Number where I put my hands on my head and I shook my little tish.

And okay, so the history I'm going to save raise the dancer.

So how different since this was the first time you said, they put a camera in your face, and it's so different. How different is dancing in something like a competition or a studio or whatever, and then dancing with cameras in your face? I mean, are you doing the entire dance? Are you just doing sections of the dance so they can film it? I mean, how different is that?

Yeah, it's a very very different process, and especially because as a performer live you're always taught to keep your eyes on the audience or connect with.

The judges and things.

Like that, and then you have a camera right in your face and don't look at it. Look at that camera.

I'm pretty it's right here in front of your face with a giant X on it. Do not look at it.

It's just gonna slide right across her face. But God forbid, don't look, oh man. So that's a big part of it.

And then with Kenny, I think the reason why he is such a creative genius is he's very passionate and he's a perfectionist. So with every dance scene, it took ten million takes to get.

The one that he loved.

And yes, we would do it in chunks, but many times he wanted to get like the one shot, you know, or a long shot, And so we were doing those dances over and over. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and let's just want.

To say, how does your body hold up for something like this over and over and over again?

Will will we saw? Well, you've got to remember too, you're like talking, I mean anywhere from like fourteen fifteen to twenty two probably are the dancers. They're in their prime. I mean they are so condish to do that over and over again. And let me tell you, Kenny Ortega walks on set, You're doing nothing but full out. You are going to the night every time that music starts and finishing.

It speaking truth and she knows that you.

Even think about marking a second of those eight counts. So it's and you're like, that's the dream. Like you've been wanting to do this in front of someone like Kenny Ortega forever and so you're just stoked. Your body's just like on complete adrenaline. Like, yeah, you're tired later, but in the moment you are.

Yes, Like it's like if all you have for three months, you can die after, yes, exactly over dead after, but by you're going to push through for.

This, be honest in this industry because that might be all you got.

That's right, Yeah, you never you do, so do it right, geez Amen's sister Amen.

Okay, So the first the first movie comes out. It's obviously nobody expected because we've talked to, you know, other people involvement project. Nobody expected. How could you what it was going to become? How does your life change from pre high school musical to post high school musical.

It was pretty wild. It came out, and then I was still just like teaching dance in the basement of the mall and like all these different dance studios.

And it was about a week later I received a call from Ashley Tisdale's manager, Bill Perlman, and he was like, Hey, I saw you on set and I watched you do your stick to the status quo, and I really think there's something special there. I think you're You're really unique. I don't have anyone like you that I represent, And it like, is this really your dream? And I'm like, oh yeah, since I was like a baby, like this

Like see if you you know, if this is a good fit. I mean I'm like, oh my gosh, like a manager. And it was truly one of the funniest stories of my life. Like my mom and my sister actually came with. We packed up our car. It was like the Clampets heading the Beverly Hills.

We like, we spent all this money to get a really nice hotel because we're like, oh, we were never going to do this again, like what if this never happens again? And little did I know, I roll up to this hotel. I'm like in my county's like road trip, you know, and we're like, hey, where do we park.

They're like it's.

Valet, only we've stopped at like Walmart to get groceries to save money on the trip.

They're carrying out like yeah, that so much. That's awesome. I mean that that is yeah, but it was such a cool experience. I met with.

Bill and I'm literally in his living room, you know, talking about the logistics of this, and he gets a phone call from one of his other clients and he's like.

You know why I have you on the phone. Do you remember that girl in high school musical who like got up on the table and she popped and locked and stuff. She's like, oh my gosh, I loved her. She was like one of my favorites. She's like, well, she's in my living room right now, and I think I'm going to represent her, Like do you have any interest in like looking at her, like with your agency and stuff like that, and she's like, yeah, tell her to come on down.

And it was like, within like two days of being in La, like I had like a manager and an agent.

This is after just walking into a dance audition where they said we're going to make the part bigger because so essentially you've just been killing the industry from the seconds.

Silent Killer, A silent killer from Utah just.

Come and slain a manager agent. Then I was at my agency and they just handed me a bucket full of cash. I know.

It really was like he gave us a new car to drive home.

It's so great.

I wish, I wish, but isn't it wild? Like so then it's hard when people are like, oh, I want your advice on how to get do the industry. And I was like, well.

Be and God smiled upon me.

So like sorry, I don't know how to explain it.

So but then, like you know, you know, the industry. The hard knocks came after that, when I like shocked.

Up and I moved down and everything.

But I was really blessed and being part of the Disney family already, I was able, like to book a recurring role on the Sweet Life of Zack and Cody and get some more experience on said and things like.

The buddy work with Ashley. That's all yeah, okay.

So yeah, I was just very very blessed.

But then like it was really funny when they called me back for High School Musical too, because then now I'm living in LA I've got Thereat Life of Zack and Cody, and I got totally robbed blind.

I had no representation on the first film, like.

I think I made like a couple grand you know, and then I'm like, oh, you'd like me.

For High School Musical two?

Would you please speak to my manager and my agent? Thank you very much, Thank.

You for making me. Did you're going to charge you a lot more?

Now? Yeah?

So this is the thing because back then, you guys didn't do a two movie deal, like you know, the The Descendants. I think zombies.

Well, it's because no one knew what High School Musical was going to be. They would have signed these kids until twenty ninety two if they had known what it was going to be.

The damn what an idea that they would end up doing a sequel. They just didn't know. But there was talks about it.

Oh really before it even started.

Yeah, because again remember like the timeline goes Cheetah Girls one while we were doing Cheatah Girls too, was when the first one was premiering and they were already talking about a second one. Oh okay, isn't it wild to think now? Like Descendants Zombies, like they're when they're getting hired, they're doing without being known, two movie deals, and it's like, what do you think about?

That's normal. I mean when I started Boy Mets World, I had to sign a seven year contract. So it was oh, of course, of course that's what we had to sign for seven years before we ever entered the final audition. You were signed and the contract is done before you can audition, and you had to sign essentially for the entire series, god willing. So these that's standards. Yeah, that's it's six with an option for seven that's standard. Yeah, no, that's a total scom.

Deal and you can't do it. You guys weren't able to renegotiate anything.

No. I mean it's Hollywood, so you can renegotiate all the time. But they can always say we're gonna hold this to you. I hold you to this. But if the show takes off and does something, then hey, I want a little more. I want this, I want that. They're usually pretty cool with that, but you're not going anywhere. You're You're you're signed. So I mean the idea when I hear two movies, I'm like, that's fourteen weeks or whatever shooting is. We signed for seven years?

Will you were iron class?

Yeah?

You were stuck with those.

They were like, do you give this the remainder of your childhood and into your twenties.

Thank god I became best friends with the people on that show. Or that really would have sucked.

Because it's like a total nightmare.

Yes, your strat's what happens. You could be strapped to people for years you don't really like. Okay, so then High School Musical one comes out, it is what it is. They now call you to do High School Musical two. What are the differences between the productions that you noticed from the small movie that no one knew about to now, okay, we know what this is going to be. What was shooting the second one, like is in comparison to the first.

Yeah, you know, it was really fun because I feel like we knew, like budget was going up, so we could go.

A little bit more all out with our production and we had longer rehearsal times and things like that, where they were able to pay us for that rehearsal time, where before I felt like it was like, let's just do some rehearsals and wing this.

Yeah.

God, So it was really nice.

We were able to be a lot more prepared and costumes were more you know, thought out, and of course, like Sabrina said, with Kenny involved, like the arc in our characters, it is so fun. And when I look at the arc from the first to the third, it was almost like Kenny like knew what my message to the world, what I wanted to give to the world, and he was so kind and he like wove it

Of the team.

I was one of the crew. I was talking about you know, summer jobs and.

Things like that. So very very big difference for me, and I feel like High School Musical two was the closest that I've ever been like with the cast, I feel like that's when we really.

Like to ask, how did you guys stay in touch with each other?

Like?

Was there even group chats back then?

Like it was it was everyone sitting in a room and chatting sidekicks?

Did you guys all have sidekicks?

Say you had the little messaging table reads?

Okay, right, sorry, I'm kidding.

No, you are right.

That actually brought back like flashbacks for me because I remember like Ashley and Vanessa having sidekicks sidekicks and being like, whoa, those are the coolest things I have ever seen in my life. I don't even know where you get one of those.

But tea mobile.

Team mobile baby. I feel an ad coming on.

So, I mean Zach and Vanessa at this point too, were kind of like the the giants. Yeah, not only that, but the tabloids were kind of home after them a little bit. And I mean this was been a whole different kind of set than the first one.

Right, Oh, yes, we had we had a love affair going on, and.

Sometimes we'd have some arguments and it was just normal drama, you know. But it was like watching the soap opera. It was really great.

No, they were.

They were very sweet and good and very professional. But yeah, everything was just so different, and relationships had formed, and there were crushes and dating and all sorts of things, and lots of different people and dancers mixing with main cast y'all. It was it was gonna it was everyone was everybody an.

Adult by this point, everybody over eighteen is No one's doing school or any of that kind of Oh no, no, they still under age, okay, yeah, yeah.

And like you said, and the first one they were like what fifteen ish? Yeah, and your guys just turn around, especially with like Hollywood standards that to the second movie? How quick was that? Wasn't there not a very big time gap between finish?

There wasn't, And yeah it was I can't remember exact years. It's all a blurk I but but yeah, no, it wasn't.

Like a very long two year situation in between. No, because they look I mean, the only thing that looks different to me is Vanessa's hair is shorter. Other than that, she looks exactly the same.

Teenagers. You've got to shoot as fast because you guys, know, you can't shoot five years later and say you're still in high school.

There was definitely a bigger gap between High School Musical two and the third one, right, and that had a lot to do with them. A lot of it it was contracts, because I remember hearing being in the channel and going and there was so much controversy over new contracts for the third one. There was times where some of the cast members didn't want to do it. Really, they weren't sure right and they were yeah, like I'll only do it if it's this or that and whatever.

Yes, yeah, and only if I get so many songs and only if I do this right.

Like, there was like a lot of logistics.

Going on, and rightfully so, because at that point, you guys were all giants. I mean, you guys were all huge.

Yes, this was now a well oiled machine, and and the fans wanted us back, and Disney wanted us.

Back, and so yeah, everyone was you know right in their moment.

Yeah, it's the driver's seat. I mean, that's the way it is. And we've we've said this before. We could all say this, and I don't think this we're talking out of school at all. Working for Disney or the Channel or just Disney in general is a wonderful thing there, absolutely, it's it is like a family. They do take care of you. You get to do some things you'd never get a chance to do. But they're very frugal. That's

So yeah, exactly, part of the parade and your name's on the back of the car and you're waving to fans and all these things, and then yeah, will you said it perfectly.

It's like I always was like, well, I've got the same, but not really the.

Fourth Yeah, that's the which again it's as when you're a young actor, it's you. You are. You can be dazzled by the lights, which is not the worst thing in the world, because they are a ton of fun to work with.

They are they are amazing, and they've started so many incredible careers and it's like, I will always forever be.

Grateful, you know, to them, as I know we all we all are so. But yeah, it's definitely something that it's not everyone from the outside understands. So like, oh, I assume you live in a.

Multimillion dollar mansion and I'm like, I bought a house that's fifteen hundred square feet in California.

That's the way. When do you take your golden jet to your other home in Paris? Like Nope, nope, not how that works.

I know you got all I guess one hundred percent of you guys that the cast wasn't like over eighteen, But we did hear about some of those real life pool parties and those one am dinners at Denny's, Like, can you tell me.

A little bit of dinners?

Oh?

That like, oh the nostalgia for me?

Oh yeah, so we really would like, oh, it was so great you guys not filming. That was so special because we would like, after you've been filming all day, we're exhausted, but we're hungry, and the only place in Saint George, Utah is Denny's.

It's open, so we'd sneak off to Denny's.

And you'd always have those people that were just like like mouth drop and like the whole cast of high school Musical Oason, like you have misteak and eggs please.

Well, they're expecting they're not going to be able to finish their meal because you're all going to break into dances and push the plates off the table and come on, like no, wait, come on, don't do that.

Don't do that.

Man, isn't that where what we do everywhere we are? Don't exact? Wasn't that your high school?

It was much more smoking cigarettes in the bathroom in mine than in high school musical, that's for ship.

Was there any kind of like pressure, well, you guys, I mean it sounds like you guys it was just like kind of a long reunion for all of you to be able to be together and keep developing your friendships. But was there like a sense of pressure like high school musical was so mega on that second movie. Did it feel like I mean, the stakes are.

High, absolutely, And I think we felt that the most, Like in rehearsals, Okay, we were like learning the dances and everything, and I remember like Zach wicking over at me at one point and he's.

Like, oh, dear, these dances are a little harder.

Yeah. I did notice that it did seem like the dances were a lot more.

Yeah, the dances were harder.

Yeah.

The songs were really beautiful.

Now that I look back on them, I'm like, wow, these were like really good, like really emotional or like some really good bangers.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

And but it was cool because not only did we have that time and like rehearsal to bond and just forget about that pressure, but then when we were filming in Saint George, Utah, we were in these like little casitas, and the main cast we were all attached so our doors like attached, oh cool to each other, and that was really cool. I feel like that helped take some of the pressure off. Is us really feeling like we were bonding? We were away at summer camps?

Oh my god, it comes around there, it is, We got it.

That's what it is.

That's what it is. You nailed it. That was the moment.

Okay. So I'm going to put you on the spot for two questions that I'm not happy to ask him. You're not gonna be happy to answer him, because I've got to We've got it, what you think? So, first of all, favorite High School Musical movie?

Oh?

Okay, So, like I'm saying, High School Musical two was my favorite to film.

Okay, but to watch back.

My favorite is High School Musical three. Once again, I feel like we had those just the sky was the limit. The sky was the limit for us with all the

I was never the brunt of a joke. I was never And that is what I.

Want on television and film for our young girls. And it's so rare to find those roles, and so I love that, like Kenny did that. So the third just has like kind of a special place in my heart for that and for Martha and her message, but also just thank you guys.

I can't wait for you to watch it. Well. I expect a text message after because I think you'll see what I'm.

Talking about with like the numbers are so flashy, that costumes are so big, like we could just go all out.

Okay, So there's first question. Second question, singing, dancing or acting. You're only allowed to do one for the rest of your life. What do you pick?

Oh, my gosh, I would die. I would die.

Gosh.

That's really hard.

Oh.

I would probably have to say just because it's like born and bred into me, I'd have to say dance.

Yeah, because it like it really was my therapy growing up.

And I'm also like a choreographer, and that's a lot of how I like do my stort, like storytelling and things like that.

Sure.

So if I couldn't use like acting and skits and like social media, which I love now, then I.

Would have to I'd have to pick dance.

Well.

Dance is cool though, because like, you can act without having a smidge of dance, but you can't really dance without having a smidge of music and acting, you know what I mean. I feel like dance is the best choice because you're still getting to do both aspects, just maybe not as predominant as you are moving your body. So I love that, and I do.

I will say one of my favorite compliments I ever received from a judge at a dance competition because they were like, wow, you are one of the best storytellers I have ever seen, and she compared me to Debbie Reynolds.

I was like, well, I can die a happy a happy girl. But it was because I was doing a tap dance and my tap shoe flew off. I lost a.

Shoe and it literally landed on the judge's table.

This is how God keeps me humble guys for days, for days, I swear. I don't know if it's Murphy's Well all with me, but I'm like every time I think I'm maybe getting cool I to get humbled, real bad happened, but yeah, and so I had to like play off this whole tap dance with one shoe and they were like, oh, you are such a phenomenal like storyteller. And then when the shoe came off, I was like, I'm watching Debbie Reynolds, like this is great.

Okay, well, thank you so much for joining us here, and can we I mean, I don't want to say count on you, but can we hope that you'll come back after we watch the third one?

Absolutely?

Okay, good, okay, good, okay.

Good, all right, I will come back anytime. I love what you guys are doing, and I think this is the sweetest and most genius podcast, so I will be there with bells on my Yes.

We're gonna go watch. Hopefully they're singing and dancing in the third one, and I'm in.

You gotta tell everyone where to find you because your tiktoks, your ig like you are continuously dancing, creating the most fun content for people that not just love high school musical but love dance and entertainment in general. So please let them know where they can find you.

Thank you, Sabrina that that means the world to me. I love creating, I love doing little skits.

I love dancing. I love that I can do in my living room.

I love that your husband gets involved in them too. That's really fun.

Lesson Tart, you're getting nice and he's got two daughters to deal with.

He is number.

Less Ben Higginson.

But yeah, everyone please follow me on Instagram. It's just Case Strow k A y C S t r O H. I know that's weird, but it's my nickname Case. And of course because I got on social media after high school musical, so.

I have not in mind because of the same and they will not give it back. No, I know, Manytimes, I ask, I know.

It's so it's Case Strow on Instagram and on TikTok and on YouTube, and I love. I love being able to connect with with fans and just spread a little sunshine in a dark wall.

So I thank you.

We got to get together and do one together because that's I want to see that.

I want to, Yes, Sabrina, I am going to hold you to that. Well you're doing him.

I don't social media.

He doesn't have social media, but he loves dancing.

It doesn't matter.

I do.

It doesn't matter to dance.

I also want to point out you're wearing your cheeateadh girl top tonight. I noticed that.

Thank you very much, so glad you caught it.

Will I feel like I wear my wild Cat like sweater that I would wear on the typical Monday at the Wildcat Gymnasium for a basketball game.

I would be wearing this.

I love that. Well girls, girl supporting girl everyone.

I love it and I love you guys, so thank you so much for having me.

Thank you so much. Cases so appreciate it, and we will see you for high school musical three sounds awesome. Seeya bye bye.

So funny.

Well, she's unpleasant to talk to. Yeah, right, she's like an interview of sweetest, nicest person every I know.

And how I mean, what amazing humble beginnings and finding your way to such an a big project in the any anyone that is a dancer in the industry. What she experienced is the dream.

Yeah, I mean it sounds like it's perfect. It's yeah, you go into.

A cattle call, she's saying, a cattle call where there's five hundred kids and you get pulled out to then not just read a little bit of line, but to eventually have like a character that gets developed over three movies.

Yeah by Kenny Ortega.

By Keny Early points you out, holds your hand and says you are special, you are different, and you were amazing, you were everything.

And then managers calling you, managers and agents going like, hey, yeah, you should come to Beverly Hills.

You're not begging, you're not taking you, just please give me five minutes to talk to you know. They're like, please let me represent you. And by the way, I'm going to find you an agent. Yeah. Right o. Guess what someone's calling me here you go.

Yeah, Hollywood Dream, Hollywood Dream, right dream.

That's amazing.

Oh wow, Well, thank you for joining us on our little Hollywood dream right here, which is of course the magical rewind Pod. So yes, thank you so much, Casey Strow for for joining us here talking to us, telling us everything about the joy that is High School Musical. I now have to like maybe drink myself into, you know, blackout, because I don't want to remember anything she told about High School Musical three Like I already no, I don't want to know. I don't want to know. But it's great.

No, she no, she has it.

It's like perfect for her.

She would do incredible on it. She would incredible, They would love her.

Yeah, she seems like she is just absolutely made for that show.

We disser a bit because she is considered a dancer, and a lot of people on the show don't think dancers should go on Dancing with the Stars. But you didn't anyway, I know, but a lot of us that have dancing background. That is a big backlash when you go against somebody who is a tennis player or you know, has no no dance background, you do get a little bit of a backlash a lot actually from the fans of this show.

Well, then she should be one of the dance one of the professional dancers. Yeah that man, Well, I have none of that dance dance quality. So thank you everybody once again for joining us on this Park Copper episode, and thank you Casey for joining us and letting us into the world that is East High. Wow so crazy. But join us next time when we're gonna be watching Go Figure.

Yes, I think you're right, which I think.

Is just somebody sitting there going hmm, But no, it's not actually that. I think it's a figure skating movie. If i'm I am assuming it is too. But again, I keep going back to thirteenth year. We thought it was about a bar mitzvah and it just wasn't. So thank you everybody, and we will see you next time. Bye.