20 Years of High School Musical: KayCee Stroh Reflects

In January 2006, we met Troy, Gabriella, and a soundtrack full of catchy, unforgettable hits that still stick in our heads today. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved DCOM, I sat down with KayCee Stroh to hear about stepping into the role of Martha, her scene-stealing "Status Quo" dance, and how High School Musical changed her life forever. KayCee: I heard about the audition from a former choreographer that I worked with growing up, and she said she thought of me. It’s very rare, especially in the entertainment or dance industry, that they ask for people of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. At the time, I was teaching dance at multiple studios throughout Utah. I was 18 or 19, fresh out of school, and I thought, "You know what, I should give it a try!" Then I thought, "I should take my students." I wanted to give them the opportunity, as well as to have a real audition experience. It was very fun. I got to take these kids that I loved and believed in, and one of them, Andrew Winston, ended up being at the brainiac table with me. It was just a mind-blowing experience. I was one of 500 people who showed up to the audition that day. KayCee: After I did the dance portion of the audition, Kenny Ortega walked up to me. He stopped the music, held my hand, and said, "I love you. You’re different." It was very validating for me to hear that, especially as someone raised in a very tough industry, and not exactly being the status quo. He said to me, "Please tell me you sing." I was like, "Yeah, I do!" He then said, "Hand me your resume. You’ve acted, right? I think I have a role that I want you to read for." It felt like my whole life was leading up to this moment. I never knew how this was going to happen for me in little Salt Lake City, Utah. Later on, Kenny went on to tell me, "We auditioned in New York, and we auditioned in LA, and I just didn’t feel like I had found my Martha. It looks like you were hiding here in Utah." KayCee: "Stick to the Status Quo" was a big number, and there were a lot of moving parts and pieces and people. When I watch it back, I'm always very proud of that work. We filmed in the actual cafeteria at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's a beautiful location, and we were lucky that the scouts found it. You can still visit the school for a tour. Even to this day, you will walk in and sometimes see tours going! KayCee: One of the funny things about "Stick to the Status Quo" is that my part was not really choreographed. Kenny just trusted me on that. When I got up on the table, I was just improvising with things I had learned throughout the years, or whatever came to me. Looking back, I feel honored that Kenny trusted me so heavily when everything else is meticulously planned. But he was like, "KayCee, you've got this, I believe in you." I'm gonna be honest, I was terrified, but I was also really, really excited. I remember the first thing I filmed was my close-up with these cameras right in my face. Kenny looked at me, and he just said, "I want you to sing it loud, and I want you to do exactly what you did in the audition. You really get Martha, and I know that this is going to shine through." I got to do a few takes from a few angles, and I just remember having chills the whole time. KayCee: A fun fact about "We're All In This Together" is that I actually learned that dance the night before. I was only scheduled to be in "Stick to the Status Quo" because I was one of the latest hires. Disney contacted production, and they said, "We loved what KayCee did with 'Stick to the Status Quo.' We feel bad that everything's already scripted and mostly shot, but we want more of her." So, they added me into "We're All In This Together." Kenny was so kind. He would move me between Zac [Efron] and Vanessa [Hudgens] at certain points to make sure I would be on camera. At the very end, during the end credits, he was like, "Go for it, KayCee!" Filming this song was our moment when we felt something was different with this movie. Kenny even stopped the music and said, "Do you guys all feel that? Do you feel the energy? Do you feel the love between us all? I think we really have something here." That just motivated us all even more. I think that's what the epitome of High School Musical is — that we could all be so different and so unique and still love and appreciate and celebrate each other. KayCee: I noticed Zac's talent very early on. Every time the cameras were rolling, I was taking notes because he was just brilliant. Off camera, he was playful and doing pranks — but the second it was time for business, Zac was in it. It was really cool, because I could watch him and how he handled situations and learn from his talent. You can always learn from everyone around you, whether they are older or younger than you. KayCee: After the first High School Musical, I ended up moving out to LA. Ashley Tisdale's manager actually pulled me to the side and gave me a call. He was like, "Hey, I saw you on set. I don't have anyone like you. You're really different. Is this really your dream?" I said, "Yes, my whole life!" I signed with him, and I'm still with him to this day. I ended up doing a few episodes of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and then I got the call from Disney. They said, "We're making a sequel, and this time around we'd really like Martha to be more included." Peter [Barsocchini], the writer, really made Martha a part of the gang. I was so excited to revisit this character that I loved so much, and High School Musical 2 was such a dream to film. KayCee: "Work This Out" was a monumental feat to film. We thought "Stick to the Status Quo" had a lot of moving parts — imagine now we're in a tight kitchen. We were filming into the wee hours of the night, so we're slap-happy and tired. Nobody wanted to be the one to mess it up and have to start over. It was definitely one of my personal favorites to film, even though it was a high-stress situation trying to get everything perfect. We had the opportunity to play off of each other. There was a little improv moment with Corbin [Bleu] and me. We're both tap dancers, and Kenny saw us in rehearsal just playing around. He was like, "KayCee, Corbin, go at it during this little section." There's a part where toast pops out, and that was all real. Monique [Coleman] and I had to perfectly time when we popped the toast. Chris [Warren] and Ryne [Sanborn], who played Zeke and Jason, were my little best buddies. They made it a goal to make me laugh during the scene. It really felt like a bunch of kids away at summer camp, having the time of their lives, but also making this masterpiece. "Work This Out" had my favorite lyrics for Martha. It was just so perfect. "Hit the mall with all my sisters!" KayCee: I was one of the later hires, but even with that, there was a very special camaraderie. I felt a little nervous coming in as the new girl, and I was really frightened by that. But I had a few key players who were just so kind and so welcoming, and to this day, those people are very much my friends. Bart [Johnson], Monique, Lucas [Grabeel], Corbin — all of us have become even closer over the years. We come to each other for advice. We update each other on our lives. My kids call Monique "Aunt Mo." It's truly special that we were able to do something life-altering for ourselves and the world, and we also formed these really meaningful friendships. KayCee: I always say High School Musical really did change the trajectory of my life. This was my dream since I was five years old, and I never knew how it was going to happen for me, being a little girl in Salt Lake City, Utah. This film came into my life and turned everything upside down. To this day, I'm baffled that I get to do what I love and that other people love what I do. I have the opportunity to have a family of fans and followers that I love and welcome into my home and into my life, and they mean so very much to me. I get to travel with my kids and my wonderful husband, go to red carpet events, and still continue on my path of singing, dancing, and acting. It all started with this movie, and that's why I will never turn my back on it. I'm very proud to be a Wildcat through and through.