The success of High School Musical can be attributed to the stellar performances of the made-for-tv movie’s stars, but it may surprise many that the singing voice behind lead character, Troy Bolton, does not belong to Zac Efron.
In actuality, 25-year-old Canadian singer and songwriter Andrew Seeley was the one belting out the songs made for the lead male character. Seeley, who also stood in for Efron during the North American and Latin American tours of High School Musical, also worked on the film’s soundtrack.
“In the first movie, after everything was recorded, my voice was not on them,” Zac Efron told the Orlando Sentinel. “I was not really given an explanation. It just kind of happened that way. Unfortunately, it put me in an awkward position. It’s not something I expected to be addressed. Then High School Musical blew up.”
However, the 19-year-old singer-actor has confirmed that fans can expect to hear him singing in High School Musical 2, and not Seeley.
“That was a very huge point for me,” Zac Efron said. “I had to put my foot down and fight to get my voice on these tracks.”
Efron, however, also said that he feels fortunate that proper credit was given to Seeley, even conceding that Seeley is “much more of a singer.”
“He’s trained. He’s a professional singer. He’s very talented. I consider myself a regular kid that can carry a tune,” Efron told the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s not something I set out to do. I’ve been able to sing, but I don’t want an album.”
In a separate interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Efron said that aside from hearing his voice on the upcoming sequel, fans can also expect new styles of music, such as hip hop, salsa and Hawaiian tunes.
“To change it up, it’s summer vacation and all of the kids that are at East High, we get jobs, summer jobs, at Sharpay’s father’s country club. She kind of rules the roost over there and we secretly come in and start making mischief. Fun and singing and dancing ensues,” Efron explained to Rotten Tomatoes.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Orlando Sentinel, Rotten Tomatoes
(Image Courtesy of Disney)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
