We NEED More Dara Renee In Season 2 of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series"!

 

 

So, when Disney+ announced that we were headed back to East High in "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series", obviously the excitement was real. But there’s no denying that there was hesitation too.

 

The High School Musical franchise is sacred to the kids who grew up on it. The bar was set ridiculously high. And then "HSMTMTS" came along and was better than any of us could have predicted.

 

This is thanks in large part to its cast; it’s stacked, from top to bottom.

 

 

 

Leading the charge, you’ve got Olivia Rodrigo, who’s quickly becoming known as this generation’s Sara Bareilles, and you’ve got Joshua Bassett in his first starring role ever, which seems absurd, given his talent.

 

But if there’s one cast member I desperately hope to see more of in Season two, it’s Dara Renee, who plays Nini’s (Rodrigo) best friend Kourtney. Because, people? This girl’s voice is downright angelic.

 

That became immediately clear when we met her in Disney Channel’s latest update of Freaky Friday. Sadly, she didn’t get a full-on Disney villain song, but she did get a biting verse in “I Got This”. (You’ll find it at 2:09 below if you want to skip to it.)

 

 

 

The good news is, Dara Renee got more to chew on in "HSMTMTS". Like this gem:

 

 

 

But, to quote our girl Sharpay Evans: I. Want. MORE.

 

I want a full three to four minutes of Dara Renee ripping our hearts out or getting us hyped to take on the day. Because she can do both.

 

At 19, Dara Renee has incredible control over her voice and seems to have a clear grasp of her strengths. "HSMTMTS" is only her third major project, making it all the more impressive.

 

This is what it looks like when you give Dara Renee her own number.

 

 

 

Tell me you don’t want more, you’re lying.

 

For as much skill as there is in her performances, there’s twice as much joy. And that makes Dara Renee a joy to watch. You can’t help but want her to succeed.

 

Now, we don’t know much about Season 2 of "HSMTMTS", but we do know that the next musical is Beauty and the Beast.

 

 

 

Take a second and just imagine Dara Renee as Mrs. Potts. Think of the beauty that the title ballad would be. (I mean, it’ll be beautiful either way, as they’ve already shown us, but come ON.)

 

Let’s be real, Kourtney is already as wise as Mrs. Potts and definitely has the sass needed to reel in the Beast, so it wouldn’t even be a reach.

 

If we’re being honest, though, I’d happily take a Dara Renee rendition of Gaston, though Matt Cornett’s probably got that on lock.

 

At the end of the day, the girl’s got pipes and the acting chops to go along with them. Something tells me we’ve only gotten a small taste of what she can do so far.

 

But we want it all.