Top 10 High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Moments

Mr. Mazzara made his distasteful feelings for the musical very clear from the beginning, but he takes things a step too far when he insults Carlos. The kid was just trying to look out for Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara says something not only cruel, but completely inappropriate for a teacher to say to a student. Miss Jenn isn’t having any of that. She snaps back at him, telling him that she cares about the kids and that all of the things he makes fun of them for, is exactly what makes them so special. And when he threatens to tell the kids the truth he’s discovered about her, she calls his bluff. Who knew Miss Jenn was such a badass?

Everything that happened on the night of the Homecoming dance was pretty epic. Let’s start with Carlos and Seb dancing when they decided to attend homecoming together. Super cute. Then there’s the girls night out with Nini, Kourtney, and Miss Jenn. Kourtney and Nini regain their self-confidence, and Miss Jenn meets Ricky’s dad. And of course, the dance itself was unforgettable. Mr. Mazzara inspires Carlos with some kind words when he thinks Seb stood him up. Practically the whole school joins in when Carlos walks into the middle of the dance floor and is the center of attention. And who could forget that moment in the car between Ricky and Gina where a powerful friendship is born. Homecoming was a night full of defining moments.

This is not the first time we've ever heard Kourt sing, but it might as well have been. Miss Jenn asks her to sing just for soundcheck, but Kourt, for the first time, sings solo, full out, in front of everyone, and it is awe-inspiring. The rest of the theatre kids are completely mesmerized by her. Kourt seemed pretty comfortable behind the scenes up until now, but it’s safe to say this is the moment that earned her the last minute spot as Taylor in the play when Gina had to leave. And hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more of her vocal stylings in season two. Miss Jenn did say she’s not done with her yet.

When Miss Jenn's sketchy past is revealed to the world and she is about to be fired by the school board, the kids all rally to save her. Naturally, they have their doubts at first, but after a heartfelt team meeting, they decide that she has believed in them, so now it is their turn to believe in her. In a single night, they compose a song and choreograph a dance to perform in front of the school board about all the ways that Miss Jenn has helped them. And the grand gesture wins. Even Mr. Mazzara can’t help but be impressed.

Gina was originally a villain to the main characters, but by opening night of the show, the other theatre kids were cheering when she came back. After learning more about Gina’s home life, and why she was always so cold, all the theatre kids were really sad to find out she was moving again. She had become a true friend to them, which made her return that much sweeter. And though Kourt was doing a very admirable job playing Taylor at the last minute, it was amazing to see Gina get to do her dance solo.

In the original movie, Ms. Darbus is very serious about her musical, or should we say musicale. But she never gets to sing a song of her own. However, the next generation of Wildcats kicks things up a notch in their version of the show and Ms. Darbus gets her own ballad. Ashlyn is a pretty typical wallflower type of character, not known for being too much more than being E.J.’s cousin, but in this moment she got to shine. Ashlyn doesn’t just get to sing as Ms. Darbus, she gets to write the song herself. We always knew Ashlyn was pretty special, but watching her sing with Nini her own song is like getting a little peek into her soul.

Similar to Ashlyn and Kourtney, Nini is a bit of a wallflower type who doesn't see her own talent yet. Despite her passion for performing, and her desire to play a lead, she seems to lack self-confidence and holds herself back. But everything changes when she auditions to play Gabriella. Chalk it up to the dramatic lighting from Ricky and E.J.’s cell phones, or the emotional intensity of the moment, but when Nini starts to sing, she transforms on stage and lights up the dimmed room. It’s like magic. It truly is the start of something new.

The whole season starts with Nini and Ricky breaking up because she told him she loved him and he couldn't say it back. So, although we might have been routing for them, it seemed like it would take a lot of work for them to reconcile. After the play, Ricky just can't hold it in anymore and he expresses his feelings in a burst of emotion. His stories about the moments when he fell in love with her are so heartwarming. This moment was a long time coming and the payoff was so worth it.

Much like the Homecoming episode, the Thanksgiving episode of this show was full of defining moments for everyone. Carlos’ hilarious High School Musical themed board game is just about the best thing ever. If the whole show wasn’t enough of a nostalgia trip for fans of the original movie, High School Musical: The Choosical will bring you back. All the theatre kids bond at Ashlyn's Thanksgiving party. Old enemies become new friends proving that the new friendships they’ve forged are not just showmance, but the real deal. Xref Even Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara found some common ground when they spent the holiday together at school.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Big Red Tap Dancing
“Act Two”

Nini & Ricky Talk About How They Named Each Other
“The Tech Rehearsal”

Lucas Grabeel’s Cameo
“The Tech Rehearsal”

This is pretty much the moment we've been waiting for all season. After his mom shows up with her new boyfriend, Ricky leaves the show and lets E.J. take over. Great timing, Mom. But after finally getting what he was after this whole time, E.J. has a moment of clarity and finally does the right thing. He steps aside as Troy. Nini inspires Ricky to finish the play and they sing “Breaking Free” together. It is also revealed that E.J. is the one who flew Gina back in for the show, so maybe there’s a little more to him than meets the eye. The moment feels really well earned and triumphant. Like Ricky says during the curtain call, it’s kind of the best.