Disney high on 'Musical'

PASADENA, Calif. — The president of Disney Channel Worldwide knew he had something special on his hands with the made-in-Utah TV movie "High School Musical." But he didn't know how special.

"I wasn't surprised that people loved it," Rich Ross told the Deseret Morning News. "I have to say I'm surprised it's the No. 1 album of the year. That it's the fastest-selling TV (movie)-on-DVD product ever. These are the things you sit there and say, 'Well, I can dream.' And then the dream becomes a reality."

Over 2 million DVDs have been sold despite the fact that the movie has aired 13 times on the Disney Channel.

"I knew we had something wonderful that everyone loved. I didn't realize when I said the word 'everyone' I meant everyone," Ross said.

That the bright, bouncy musical about high school kids would turn into a pop-culture phenomenon was not something anyone was planning on. It's like catching lightning in the bottle — if you do it, you're not entirely sure how.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted, even in our wildest dreams, what a stunning success it would become," said ABC-Disney TV Group president Ann Sweeney.

After all, the Disney Channel has made a lot of very good TV movies over the years. Some of them have been darn good musicals. None of them have become mega-hits like "High School Musical."

"We've made a lot of tremendous movies," said Sweenoy. "There has been, to my mind, a lot of wonderful, wonderful movies. But you never really know what is going to be that movie, that television show that just absolutely grabs people and doesn't let them go. And that's what 'High School Musical' became."

But — why?

"I think it probably sums up everything we do," Ross said. "It sums up sort of the ethos of the channel. We've been developing talent for a long time. We had an incredible cast. We've been supporting musical works. So I think there were a lot of antecedents that we've been working on, and then kismet gives it a moment."

"It was just the perfect alignment of all the stars," Sweeney said.

Ross is quick to credit Salt Lake City itself for making contributions to the movie's success. Director Kenny Ortega wanted to film the TV movie in Utah after he directed the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2002 Winter Olympics.