High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is a slightly more realistic take on the world created in High School Musical. Made up of a group of teens who audition for, and perform, their high school’s version of the stage show, many of the same character types and tropes are present in the series.
The Disney+ show is more meta with its take on a group of theater kids, giving them self awareness of the tropes they engage in, and a whole lot more pop culture references than the Disney Channel Original Movie ever had. This group of teens likely knows exactly what Hogwarts houses they would all call home if they were asked.
Maddox: Hufflepuff
Unafraid of toil and extreme loyalty are the traits of those sorted into Hufflepuff. It doesn’t take long after Maddox makes her Season 3 debut for fans to see she embodies those traits. Like EJ, she’s a counselor in training at Camp Shallow Lake, and she takes to the responsibility very quickly.
Maddox is ready to organize outings, lead singalongs, and help with auditions, while EJ is a bit overwhelmed by the work he finds himself thrust into. With so many new faces around her, Maddox does struggle to connect with new campers, but it doesn’t stop her from trying to find things in common with Ashlyn, Gina, and Courtney.
Mr. Mazzara: Ravenclaw
At first glance, Mr. Mazzara doesn’t seem as creative as a Ravenclaw might be. He’s focused on rules that shouldn’t be broken and maintaining a strict structure. That’s because his creativity isn’t in the theater like Miss Jenn. Instead, he allows himself to be more creative with his technological pursuits, like robotics, or lighting.
Mr. Mazzara, however, is still quick to learn, absorbing knowledge like a sponge, and he comes to understand Miss Jenn’s tendency to color outside the lines. The Ravenclaw in him embraces her creativity once he understands it.
Lilly: Slytherin
There might not be a more cunning and ambitious character in the High School Musical series than Lilly. While she might have the theatrical knowledge and creativity of a Ravenclaw, she applies it to schemes to help herself come out on top, making her a better fit for Slytherin.
Lilly allows her ambition to rule her every moment. She creates a social media presence based around her talent, robs other talented drama club members of opportunities to perform so she can shine, and bases all of her relationships around whether they will help her pursue a career. While her drive is admirable, it also means she alienates quite a few people.
Howie: Hufflepuff
Howie doesn’t have much free time in his life. Between maintaining top grades and being a lead in his school’s theater program, he’s also got an after school job in Season 2. He still finds the time to make new friends and pursue a relationship with Courtney though.
Howie’s hardworking Hufflepuff nature is evident right away, but so is his loyalty. Despite him not agreeing with Lilly’s methods, he’s still loyal to the drama club, but he also tries to make things fair, telling Courtney and her friends if something is out of line, and trying his best to keep his theater life separate from his relationship with Courtney as well.
Val: Ravenclaw
A former Shallow Lake camper turned counselor, Val helps to take charge of the campers in Season 3. She becomes EJ’s right hand when he’s overwhelmed. She’s also the voice of reason for EJ in the third season, demonstrating that she’s a quick thinker and got a good head on her shoulders.
Her Ravenclaw ability to analyze and compartmentalize means that she’s able to work on several different aspects of the camp’s musical, much like Ashley does back at school.
Jet: Gryffindor
Though Jet is initially quiet and a bit hostile with his cabin-mates in Season 3, he’s actually a good fit for the usually more boisterous Gryffindors. Gryffindors are all heart, allowing their emotions to provide the foundations for their motivations.
Jet’s emotions cause him to lash out at other campers numerous times. He doesn’t mean to, but his unhappiness boils over and causes friction between him and others several times. Once he confronts what’s really making him unhappy, he’ll loosen up a bit more.
Miss Jenn: Hufflepuff
There wouldn’t be an in-show version of High School Musical without Miss Jenn. She comes to East High with the intention of revitalizing the drama program. Her creative mind and interest in theater could make some see her as a Ravenclaw, but if Miss Jenn worked at Hogwarts, she would be a Hufflepuff through and through.
She begins her career wanting to be in the spotlight, but her love for performing means that she’s just as interested in helping a group of kids find their theatrical calling. She’s completely committed to her students, wanting to give them the best experience she can. Incredibly hard-working, Miss Jenn makes the best of a bad situation when the theater burns and the show goes on in the gym.
Ashlyn: Ravenclaw
Ashlyn is definitely a creative soul. When most of the characters audition for the show, they’re hoping to get one of the four main roles. Ashlyn is cast as Miss Darbus, and she looks genuinely excited about it. She wants the chance to breathe new life into eccentric characters, and that’s just one of the many things that make her a Ravenclaw.
Ashlyn is pretty great at reading situations and people, proving that she can analyze and strategize on the fly. Her mind is both quick and creative. She would probably have gotten along well with fellow Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood.
Big Red: Hufflepuff
Originally a member of the stage crew, Big Red is surprisingly knowledgeable about High School Musical, not to mention a great tap dancer. He’s got a lot of skills he keeps under wraps, and that’s because he doesn’t seek out attention, allowing the people around him to shine.
Big Red picks up the tech skills requiring him to work behind the scenes pretty quickly, but he also spends a lot of time trying to make sure he does his job well, which is a contrast to his attitude when the show begins. It’s that Hufflepuff loyalty and desire to do a job properly that has him really committing to the show.
Carlos: Gryffindor
Carlos is completely and authentically himself. That’s pretty brave in high school, which is why, despite his creative side being such a huge part of him, he’s a Gryffindor.
Carlos is the first one in school ready to bring High School Musical to the stage, even if not everybody is interested in it. He doesn’t hide how much he loves to perform or dance even if it could get him ridiculed by classmates outside of the theater department. When the rest of the teens could make fun of him for his obsession with the Disney movie, he takes it in stride and shows up to a cast get-together with his homemade High School Musical game.
Gina: Slytherin
Slytherins have a reputation for being bad people, but that’s not always the case. They tend to be ambitious and pragmatic, going after what they want and trying their best to leave emotions out of the equation. Gina, who has spent most of her childhood avoiding attachments as she and her mom move from place to place, adheres to that Slytherin mindset for most of the first season.
She loves to perform and very badly wants to be the lead, which motivates her to attempt to mess with Nini’s head a little bit. Gina does eventually see the error of her ways and tries to be better about her approach to her dreams, but she’s never shy about admitting her ambitions.
Kourtney: Ravenclaw
The audience doesn’t get to know Kourtney right away. She’s Nini’s best friend, but she stays in the background until rehearsals for the show really get underway. Kourtney proves herself to be the voice of reason in Nini’s life as well as a creative soul. Like Ashlyn, she’d find a home in Ravenclaw.
Kourtney has a great voice, and while she loves to sing, she loves the mechanics of the show just as much. She has a knack for creating colorful clothing ensembles that stand out. Kourtney is also pretty good at channeling the voice of her friends, filling out an application for a prestigious school for Nini.
Seb: Hufflepuff
Seb is a bit newer to the world of performing compared to the friends he makes in the theater department, and he excels at it. His talent is only buoyed by his worry that he won’t do the part justice.
Seb goes out of his way to make other people comfortable. His family has a farm, and they aren’t big on things like drama club. He practices in the barn so that he doesn’t disturb his family, can complete his chores and fine-tune his role. That’s the kind of commitment, hard work, and selflessness that makes a Hufflepuff.
EJ: Slytherin
EJ, with his athletic prowess and interest in theater, is kind of like the Troy Bolton of this version of High School Musical, except that he doesn’t have the exact same moral center. He’s not a bad guy, just ambitious. His ambition, however, extends beyond himself. EJ also wants the people he cares about to succeed, and he’ll do some pretty underhanded things to make that happen, which is why he ends up in Slytherin as well.
When EJ and Nini start dating, Nini has yet to snag the lead role in anything she’s auditioned for. EJ helps her do that by making sure her competition ends up with food poisoning. It’s definitely not a great thing to do, but he’s only thinking of Nini in that moment, not the girl who winds up sick.
Ricky: Hufflepuff
Some would argue that the male lead of an ensemble has to be a Gryffindor. After all, they’re the star, right? Ricky would probably disagree. He doesn’t gravitate toward the spotlight that much. What gets him into the spotlight is the pull he feels toward Nini.
In fact, Ricky’s character is built around him being open and accepting when it comes to new people - and very jealous when someone gets in the middle of one of his existing relationships. He struggles with his parents separating but wants his dad to be happy, so he welcomes Miss Jen into his life as more than just a teacher. Likewise, he’s one of the first people to be really friendly to Gina, helping her realize just how much she likes this group of people. Ricky’s strong friendships, his loyalty, and his tendency to resist change, all make him a Hufflepuff.
Nini: Gryffindor
When it comes to Gryffindor, it’s often seen as the house for the brave. While that’s true, there’s more to courage than standing up and fighting. Like Carlos, Nini is always authentically herself. She doesn’t allow people to box her into a corner, even though she’s not the most outgoing of the theater kids.
Gryffindors are also known for following their hearts. That can lead them to do some pretty dramatic things. For Nini, that’s pouring her heart out in song to Ricky, and though she winds up very hurt when he doesn’t respond the way she anticipates, she still follows her dreams - right into theater.
