Celebrating 20 Years of High School Musical: A DCOM Phenomenon

The year is 2006. No dress can be worn without a pair of leggings underneath. Side parts reign supreme. And "High School Musical" is gearing up to make DCOM history. It's been 20 years to the day since the inaugural "HSM" movie hit Disney Channel, forever altering the lives of the six stars at the heart of the film's slightly sporty, mostly singing-heavy plot. Premiering Jan. 20, 2006, Disney Channel Original Movie "High School Musical" catapulted Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, then a couple onscreen and off, to teen fame and beyond. Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel also rode that wave through Disney fame. By the time the third movie came out in 2008, the franchise was big enough for a theatrical release, and the songs so recognizable that parents across America were no doubt humming them long after the glow of the television had faded. To mark 20 years of "HSM," here's a look back at the movie's premiere and press run. The 'High School Musical' cast, 20 years ago Efron, who was 18 at the start of the first movie and has gone on to make countless feature films, told People in a new interview that he's thrilled at the continuing impact of the franchise. "We were having fun, learning as we went, and honestly just enjoying every moment together," he told the outlet. "I never could've imagined it would still mean so much to people 20 years later, or that a whole new generation would connect with it, and I’m grateful for that." 'High School Musical' propelled cast to stardom In an interview also with People, Bleu said the fame that came with the movie's overnight success was overwhelming. "Being launched into that kind of whirlwind before your frontal lobe is even fully formed is fraught with pitfalls to navigate," he told the outlet. "There was no way to prepare us for what was really happening. We kind of woke up inside of it," Colman added. Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens look back on 'High School Musical' "Whenever you put something out into the world, of course you hope people enjoy it," Tisdale told People. "But I couldn't have imagined the longevity 'HSM' has had. … It was such a life-changing experience for all of us." Hudgens also added that the choreography for "We're All in This Together," the movie's defining track, is ingrained in her body years later. "Between filming it, doing it on tour and seeing people doing it on social media from time to time it stays in my head and in my body. I feel like it always will be," she told the outlet. "What I remember most is how unburdened it felt," Grabeel told People of making the first film. "There wasn't a machine yet — no mythology, no expectations, no sense of legacy. We were present: singing around the piano between takes, laughing at our silliness and mistakes, figuring it out together."