East High is taken by storm when Troy, the star captain of the school's basketball team, and Gabriella, a brainy new student, connect on a level that's more than a school crush. When the two discover they might have a real passion for singing, they take their place in the spotlight, setting off a chain of events that puts all of East High into a musical frenzy.
Troy (Zac Efron) is best known as the player who keeps the East High basketball team on the scoreboard. Of course, life isn't always about athletics, though, and as Troy slam-dunks on the boards, beautiful and brainy Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) is raising the school's reputation as the key member of its highly successful academic team. Despite their outgoing natures, no one would ever peg Troy and Gabriella as theatre types. When word gets out that this popular pair has decided to audition for the school's musical, the students of East High are about to learn an important lesson in teamwork...while gearing up for a performance that will have their audience dancing in the aisles.