HSM star Monique Coleman reveals Zac Efron didn’t sing in reunion because he was in remote location

There was a collective sigh of disappointment on social media over Zac Efron missing out on the mini High School Musical reunion performance for The Disney Family Singalong on Thursday.

Efron wound up introducing his former on-screen classmates from yesteryear in a blurry video he sent in.

It turns out he wanted to partake in the rendition of We’re All In This Together, but was contacted at the very last minute because he was in a remote part of the world and had a bad wi-fi connection.

Former co-star Monique Coleman told TMZ  the last she heard Efron had been in Papua New Guinea filming for his Quibi show, Killing Zac Efron.

‘I thought it was really cool that he was able to come in at the last minute and just do something,’ she said.

She went on to explain that the reunion was ‘very involved’ and that she and her co-star filmed all day long. 

‘Zac to me is one of the realest people I’ve known and he’s always been very grounded and more concerned with being a person than a celebrity, and I respect that.’

So in the end Coleman joined Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and Lucas Grabeel, via remote from their homes, to sing We’re All In This Together from the Disney Channel Original Movie.         

‘Hi everyone and I hope that you are safe and healthy you’re doing as well as possible during these unprecedented times,’ Efron began in his video introduction. 

‘It is my greatest pleasure to introduce a musical performance by some of my oldest friends and some new ones.’

He ended by adding, ‘I hope you enjoy and remember that we’re all in this together.’ 

After Efron’s classy words, show host Ryan Seacrest handed it over to the man who directed the High School Musical trilogy, Kenny Ortega.

He then joined the class reunion with Hudgens, Tisdale, Bleu, Coleman and Grabeel for the rendition oft he song the Disney Channel Original Movie. 

Joining them in the performance were stars from Descendants, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Zombies, as well as Raven-Symoné, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim.

Ortega revealed that the request for his participation on the singalong special came straight from Disney CEO Bob Iger, which didn’t leave any hesitation on his part.

‘I wanted to find something I can do to participate and it was so great to be given the call and invited by ABC to join,’ he said.

‘It gave me a purpose to get up every morning. I feel really good that we have an opportunity to do something like this — it’s good medicine.’ 

Apparently everyone was excited to be a part of the reunion, but again, it took a bit more time to find and get ahold of Efron.

‘We couldn’t reach Zac until late but when we did, he immediately jumped in, of course,’ Ortega said.

The original East High Wildcat’s song We’re All In This Together has become a rallying call of sorts as people across the globe self-quarantine to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.  

‘You’re hearing those words chanted out — I’ve been sent videos from doctors, orderlies, nurses and medical professionals in masks and hospital gowns singing We’re All In This Together in the hallways of hospitals,’ Ortega added.

He credited one of the show’s stars with renewing the song’s popularity via her social media videos.

‘I think Ashley [Tisdale] started this whole movement with her home video,’ he said. ‘I can’t imagine that Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil, who wrote this song, had any idea that it would have the legs and perhaps mean more now than when we first did it.

‘These artists that have come together are heroes,’ he continued. ‘There are young people out there that look up to these people and have for a long time. To see them in their own living rooms and in their sweatpants hanging out with their families helps everyone realize there’s truth behind these words — we’re all in this together in various circumstances. We need to feel that company .’ 

The Disney Family Singalong also featured a bevy of celebrity guests, including Christina Aguilera, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Auliʻi Cravalho, Amber Riley, John Stamos, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Alan Menken, Elle Fanning, Josh Groban, Darren Criss, Tori Kelly, among others.