PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN ON "SHARPAY'S FABULOUS ADVENTURE," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE DIRECTED BY MICHAEL LEMBECK AND STARRING ASHLEY TISDALE

Austin Butler and Bradley Steven Perry Join the Cast

Production has begun on "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure," a Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Emmy Award-winning director Michael Lembeck ("Tooth Fairy," "Santa Clause 2" and "Santa Clause 3."). Ashley Tisdale stars as the scene-stealing drama queen Sharpay Evans in the role she made so popular in the "High School Musical" TV movies and feature film. "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" is scheduled to premiere in 2011 on Disney Channel.

In addition to Tisdale, the movie stars Austin Butler ("Life Unexpected" and "Ruby and the Rockits") as confident film student Peyton Leverett and Bradley Steven Perry ("Good Luck Charlie") as a precocious young dog owner and Sharpay's nemesis, Roger Elliston the 3rd.

Rounding out the cast is Cameron Goodman ("Phineas and Ferb") as a Broadway star with Sharpay on her radar, Alec Mapa ("Ugly Betty") as Broadway show director Gill Samms, and Jack Plotnick ("The Mentalist") as the upbeat and enthusiastic scribe, Neal Roberts.

"Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" will feature four original songs by songwriters Randy Petersen and Kevin Quinn ("I'm Gonna Shine"), Matthew Tishler and Amy Powers ("My Boy and Me" and "The Rest of My Life"), David Lawrence and Faye Greenberg ("New York's Best Kept Secret").

In the movie, a New York casting director spots aspiring thespian Sharpay Evans performing with her dog, Boi, at a charity gala and offers to arrange an audition for a new Broadway musical. Sharpay packs her bags with Boi in tow and heads to the Big Apple to fulfill her destiny on Broadway. Her father has given her one month to make it to center stage, or else she will have to return home and learn the family business. However Sharpay's dreams are turned upside down when she discovers the Broadway role is really for Boi, not her. Pushing her disappointment aside, Sharpay sets out to make Boi the most fabulous canine to hit the Great White Way.

The Emmy Award-winning "High School Musical" has reached more than 290 million viewers, in 24 languages. Its soundtrack was the #1 album of 2006 and the DVD was the year's #1 TV movie on DVD. Its sequel, "High School Musical 2," ranked as the #1 basic cable telecast of all time (18.6 million viewers) and has been seen by nearly 300 million Total Viewers in over 27 languages. The "High School Musical 2" soundtrack is triple Platinum and its DVD release was the top-selling TV property on DVD for 2007. Walt Disney Pictures debuted "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" in 2008. It grossed more than $250 million at the worldwide box office.

Tisdale will also serve as executive producer of the movie, along with Barry Rosenbush and Bill Borden (both of the "High School Musical" movies). "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" was written by Robert Horn (writer of Broadway's "13" and writer/producer of "Designing Women").

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.