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LOS ANGELES -- The stars of this year's sleeper sensation, the Disney Channel movie "High School Musical," would really like to come back to Utah to film the sequel.

But there's a glitch: The movie takes place during summer break. Shooting is expected to begin in January.

That could be a problem.

"We're hearing all kinds of mixed ideas," said the movie's co-star Zac Efron, who plays the heartthrob basketball player Troy Bolton, the jock who falls for the brainy student, Gabriella Montez. "I know that's definitely still in the cards. The other places we're pushing for . . . are Hawaii and San Diego. But I would love to go back to Salt Lake."

One thing's for certain, the original "High School Musical" phenomenon, which began with the movie's premiere last January, is in high gear.

There is a traveling stage production in the works, an upcoming book and a planned merchandising blitz based on the movie.

The movie involves a varsity basketball star and an honor student who want to sing in the school's musical. Since premiering, the film has become the highest-rated program ever on the Disney Channel and has produced a No. 1-selling album and eight top-100 songs on the Billboard charts. It was directed by Kenny Ortega, who organized the 2002 Winter Games Opening Ceremony in Salt Lake City.

Now there is the Tuesday release of the movie on DVD, which includes a karaoke version and music videos.

The stars' new-found fame is likely to gain steam with the home video release and the upcoming sequel, and their days of anonymity are about to change.

"We're the same people inside and out," said 17-year-old Vanessa Anne Hudgens, who plays Gabriella. "We get busy here, and people come to us, but I personally blend in a lot with my surroundings.

"But sometimes I get recognized," she admitted. "It's usually when I'm with him [pointing to Efron] or with [the movie's co-star] Ashley."

The 18-year-old Efron said they're not popular enough to have "a horrible headline in The Enquirer."

"It's not that big of a deal yet. We can totally can walk anywhere," he added. "You just can't go to places where there are going to be tons of pre-teen and teen girls."

Ashley Tisdale, who plays the snarky student rival, Sharpay, says the movie has built lasting friendships among the cast, and they continue to see each other long after the first movie wrapped.

"Fans are surprised to see the whole cast hanging together at the mall," said the 20-year-old Tisdale, who also co-stars on the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." "Normally, you wouldn't see the whole cast of 'Ocean's 11' out at the mall."

The cast and crew of "High School Musical" shot the first film in summer 2005, mostly inside East High School, Murray High and in Spanish Fork Canyon. They spent their hot days filming, swimming at the Grand America Hotel's pool, riding Trax around town and sledding down the Alpine slide in Park City.

It was the cast's off-screen/on-screen chemistry and likeability that has, in part, turned this Disney Channel cable movie into the singing sensation that it is, according to its stars.

"There was an energy about this group that was special," said Monique Coleman, who plays one of the "cool" kids in the movie, which is a kind of mix of "Romeo & Juliet" and "Grease." But Coleman admits there's other, more practical reasons the movie has taken off with young teens.

"We hit the right market for once," she said. "Oftentimes, you put things out in a place where it's not ready for it. If this was initially a feature film, who knows how well it would have done. But the Disney Channel is wonderful about targeting its audience and attempting to be very innovative."

With a much-anticipated sequel in the works (they're still in the script-writing stage), will there be added pressure for the cast and crew to try and capture lightning in a bottle twice?

"The more relaxed we are, the more not-big-headed we are about it, the better it will be," Hudgens said. "We all came into this just normal people and had fun. If we do that, the fun we have shows on the screen."

Contact Vince Horiuchi at vince@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">vince@sltrib.com or 801-257-8607. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com" Target="_BLANK">livingeditor@sltrib.com.