TV Article High School Musical 3: Senior Year By Chris Nashawaty Chris Nashawaty Chris Nashawaty is a former senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. He left EW in 2019. EW's editorial guidelines Published on February 11, 2009 05:00AM EST Photo: John Bramley Look, I’m not exactly the target demo for Zac Efron’s brand of nonthreatening teen steam or Vanessa Hudgens’ chipmunk-cheeked chastity. But honestly, has there ever been a better moment for a cheery kids-put-on-a-show spectacular like High School Musical 3: Senior Year? The economy’s in the crapper. We’re fighting two wars. Even our gold-plated Olympic hero gets busted for allegedly doing bong hits. We could use a little shiny-happy optimism, right? Well, why not kick back and let the G-rated student body at Albuquerque’s East High belt out a few Disney song confections, wave their jazz hands, and give stuck-up rich girl Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale, channeling an evil Elle Woods) her comeuppance? Sure, you?ll still have your problems when the last deleted scene or blooper-reel gag on the EXTRAS is over, but it’s only a matter of time before High School Reunion 4! B