High School Musical 2, the sequel to last year’s pop culture phenomenon, will make its Canadian television premiere on Astral Media’s Family Channel on Friday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, airing day and date with the U.S. premiere on Disney Channel.

Written by former rock music journalist Peter Barsocchini, the sequel features anthemic songs (spanning pop, rock, hip hop, swing and a flashy Hawaiian/Polynesian number), and sensational production numbers choreographed by an Emmy Award-winning team led by the film’s director, Kenny Ortega.

Reprising their singing and dancing roles are bona fide superstars in the kid and tween universe: Zac Efron as star athlete Troy Bolton; Vanessa Hudgens as brainy transfer student Gabriella Montez; Ashley Tisdale as drama club diva Sharpay Evans; Lucas Grabeel as drama club idol Ryan Evans; Corbin Bleu as teammate and best friend Chad Danforth; and, Monique Coleman as academic decathlete Taylor McKessie.

In the sequel, school’s out for summer and the East High Wildcats are ready to kick back and make it the time of their lives. If they can land decent summer jobs, all will be right with the world. Troy Bolton can barely believe his luck when he’s offered a job at Albuquerque’s posh country club, Lava Springs. What he doesn’t know is that his newfound employment is part of club queen Sharpay’s plot to lure him away from Gabriella. But that plan begins to unravel when Troy, unbeknownst to Sharpay, lands a lifeguard position at the club for Gabriella, as well as jobs for Chad, Taylor and the rest of his Wildcat pals.

When she learns Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) has written what’s sure to be a winning duet for Troy and Gabriella to perform at the club’s annual Midsummer Night’s Talent Show, an incensed Sharpay begins an all-out campaign to ensure these newcomers will not upstage her – forcing her to relive her humiliation over the school’s winter musical.

Thus begins a duel of wits between the determined Sharpay, who seeks to always get what she wants, and Troy, who begins to experience a world of privilege he’s never known. What will he be willing to sacrifice for the sake of his future? All questions are answered, musically of course, on the night of the club’s Talent Show.

Filmed on location in Salt Lake City and St. George, Utah, High School Musical 2 is from First Street Films and Salty Pictures. The original movie is executive produced by Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush. Don Schain is the producer.