Watch High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special

High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special is a 45-minute musical special that premiered on December 11, 2020, exclusively on Disney+. The special is a spinoff of the popular High School Musical movie franchise and features the talented cast of the Disney+ original series "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." The plot of the special follows the East High Wildcats as they celebrate the holiday season with a variety of musical performances and some heartfelt moments. The special opens with the cast members sharing their favorite holiday traditions and memories. Olivia Rodrigo, who plays Nini, shares her love for baking and Josh Bassett, who portrays Ricky, opens up about his family's annual tradition of performing a Christmas classic.

The plot of the special revolves around the students' preparation for their holiday show. The students have been tasked with putting on a holiday performance as a gift to their community. The performance, titled "High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special," features stunning performances from the cast, including covers of classic holiday songs like "Feliz Navidad" and "This Christmas."

As the special progresses, we see the characters interact with one another and deal with various emotional struggles. Rodrigo's character, Nini, is still trying to figure out her feelings for Ricky, and the special shows us how their relationship progresses, even as they continue to clash with each other. Meanwhile, Ashlyn (played by Julia Lester) is struggling with writer's block as she tries to pen the perfect holiday song.

The special also places a particular emphasis on the characters' friendships. We see the characters go the extra mile to ensure everyone is having a great time, from organizing secret Santa exchanges to inviting each other's families to watch the holiday performance. The special is sprinkled with some humor as well, with Big Red's (played by Larry Saperstein) struggle to rap being a standout comedic moment.

The musical numbers in the special are truly magnificent. One of the highlights of the special is a beautiful rendition of "The Perfect Gift" by Olivia Rodrigo and Julia Lester. There's also a fantastic rendition of Joni Mitchell's "River" by Matt Cornett, who plays EJ. The standout performance of the special, however, is the stunning rendition of "Feliz Navidad" by Frankie Rodriguez (who plays Carlos) and Joe Serafini (who plays Seb).

Overall, High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special is a heartwarming experience that will have viewers tapping their feet and singing along to some of their favorite holiday tunes. While it's not a full-fledged episode of the show, it still manages to capture the same magic and heart that has made the series a hit among fans. It's a must-watch for fans of the show or the original High School Musical films.

In conclusion, the special is a perfect holiday gift from Disney to fans of the High School Musical franchise. With its beautiful musical numbers, heartfelt moments, and comedic sequences, it offers an immersive holiday experience that truly captures the magic of the season. To watch the special and embark on an emotional journey filled with holiday cheer and memorable performances, fans should head over to Disney+ and stream High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special is a 2020 comedy with a runtime of 46 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6.