As auditions for the play begin in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Episode 2, the tension kicks up a notch, not only at East High with the Wildcats but with Nini at her new acting school. There will be spoilers ahead, so if you have yet to catch up with the drama, proceed with caution.
Last week we discovered that the new school play would be Beauty and the Beast, and so the students have been prepping for their auditions. The roles are kind of up in the air. Nini (Olivia Rodrigo) would be the obvious pick for Belle based on how the show’s been going, but since she’s in Denver at her new school, YAC, she’s not in the running.
At this new school, we discover that she’s actually not having the best time. Even though Ricky took the news well, there are plenty of problems she faces in her first week away. Her roommate tells her that she was typecast into a specific role, which Nini thinks is wrong, and when Nini tries to plan something out of the box for an audition in her class, it fails. Her professor calls her out, and then the Dean of YAC confronts her about the incident, telling Nini to listen to the school’s official anthem and basically learn discipline.
Honestly, they are really pushing the “bad vibes” when it comes to YAC. It looks dull and dreary, the professors are rude, and the students are basically told to shut up. It’d be interesting to see Nini thrive outside of East High in a school that really elevated her talents, but instead, it appears that YAC is a boring academy where students are shoved into boxes without any real room for growth. Maybe we’ll be seeing Nini back in the halls of East High sooner than we thought!
Speaking of East High, the auditions are finally kicking off for the students. Ricky (Joshua Bassett) is wondering whether or not to audition without Nini there, but he does so anyway, with the rest of the crew.
There’s also a newcomer to the theater, Lily (Olivia Rose Keegan), or so she claims. Until we later discover that she didn’t mean that, and instead has likely been part of many productions. Her competitive nature kicks things into high gear, especially for Gina (Sofia Wylie), who says she loves to do things her own way. Lily says that only she and Gina are even contenders for the leading role of Belle, and trash talks the other drama kids.
Well, Gina takes a risk this time; instead of auditioning solo, she does so as part of a trio alongside Ashlyn (Julia Lester) and Kourtney (Dara Renee). Their song is pretty catchy with perfect girl group energy, and Gina proves to Lily that the rest of her friends have just as much talent. Ashlyn herself shines super brightly, and though she expects to get the role of Mrs. Potts, it’s clear that Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) may have other plans for her.
Besides this iconic number, Big Red (Larry Saperstein) is also struggling as he auditions for the play, but he manages to pull his dancing chops together with Ricky’s help. Meanwhile, Ricky’s audition is actually a big flop, but we’re all in for a surprise as the cast list is posted.
Ashlyn is announced as Belle, which is pretty great, fresh casting and, it’s a way that we’ll get to see more of Ashlyn this season. Kourtney landed the role of Mrs. Potts instead, while Gina, Seb (Joe Serafini), and Carlos (Frankie A. Rodriguez), who is acting on stage this year, got smaller roles as the characters in Beast’s mansion. They did amazing in the auditions, so it’s a bit sad they got smaller roles, but hopefully, we’ll get to see a lot of off-screen moments with these fan favorites.
As for the Beast, honestly, it’s surprising to see Ricky get the role. Before his audition, it was to be expected, but he did pretty poorly. Oh, well. Guess it’s not shocking the main male character of the series is the lead in the play. EJ (Matt Cornett) on the other hand gets cast as Gaston, which is really a great role for him and his personality, but it’s extremely weird that he is going to have to pretend to fall for his cousin, Ashlyn. Though both characters fit the role, it’s still really strange.
Lily, the new girl, was not cast at all, despite her talent. When she laughed at Big Red’s slip up on stage, Miss Jenn was quick to notice and told her that’s not how they did things. This moment is extremely rewarding because Lily is very rude, but it’s definitely not the last time we’ll see her. At the end of the episode, she gives East High’s rival North High a call. It wouldn’t be a shock if she lands the lead at their opposing school, stirring the pot even more.
In terms of the future, there are a few things that are becoming apparent. Nini is beginning to severely dislike her new school, and although her relationship with Ricky seems good even at a distance and through all of their Facetimes, it’s clear to Nini that her friends back home are having a lot of fun with the play while she’s suffering. Also, there have been plenty of hints at Gina’s still-existent feelings for Ricky, and they might come to fruition in the third episode. That, or we’ll get a new love story for Gina, which is something they hopefully explore really soon. Until next week!
