The story begins on New Year's Eve at a ski resort in Salt Lake City, Utah. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) are randomly called up during a party to sing karaoke together, which they do unwillingly, at first. However, they soon begin to get into the song and before long are both singing enthusiastically. Afterwards, Troy and Gabriella introduce themselves to each other, and then part company, but not before promising to call later on (each having the other's number and picture on their cell phone). Later, due to her mother's job being transferred to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Gabriella starts school at East High, not knowing that Troy goes there as well. Troy is also the captain of the East High Wildcats basketball team, which is coached by Mr. Bolton, Troy's father. Furthermore, Troy and Gabriella happen to both be in the same homeroom, taught by Ms. Darbus, the head of the Drama Club and the organizer of the Winter Musical. Welcoming the students back from holiday vacation, Ms. Darbus encourages the students to sign up for the Winter Musical auditions, announcing that there would be singles auditions for the supporting roles and pairs auditions for the two leads. After class, an astonished Troy and Gabriella run into each other in the hallway, where the latter explains her coming to East High. Then, passing by the audition sign-up sheet in the lobby, both casually claim to have no intention to add their names to the list. It is at this time that the two are confronted by Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), who takes a moment to scrawl her name in oversized letters on the pairs audition sign-up sheet. Sharpay then comments that she and her brother, Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel) have starred in all (17) of the school's productions, to which Troy and Gabriella both reiterate that they have no desire whatsoever to try out for the Winter Musical. However, it soon becomes evident that the two (and particularly Troy) both secretly wish to sign up--or, at least, that the other will do so first. The problem is, singing (and being together) go against Troy and Gabriella's set stereotypes, big time. Gabriella is a super-braniac, "the geeky" girl and Troy is the star basketball player. Troy will get in trouble with his dad and his friends if he directs his attention towards the musical instead of basketball (they have the championship game coming up soon), and the scholastic decathlon team begs for Gabriella to focus on their upcoming competition. But being in a new school gives Gabriella the chance to start over before anyone can officially label her as "brainiac." Troy has a bit more to deal with, since his dad has always thought that Troy would simply be the big basketball star forever, and get the scholarship his dad had always wanted him to get. Will Troy and Gabriella's friends let them be together, and be in the musical? Together, the singing comes so easily for them, like they've been doing it forever. But is that enough to beat Sharpay and Ryan? The two spoiled siblings have never had competition before -- and they'll do anything to stop Troy and Gabriella from stealing their parts. It's all down to whether Troy and Gabriella can follow their hearts and "break free" of the mold they have been forced to be encased in for so long. And it comes together with one CRAZY day - the callbacks, the basketball game, and the scholastic decathlon - all occur on the same day. Ultimately, they finally let them sing and they sing Breaking Free and now they notice that Troy and Gabriella are great singers. At the end, they all sing and dance to We're All In This Together after the East High Wildcats win the championship game.