Australian Associated Press reports:
HIGH School Musical mania has hit Australia, with hundreds of screaming fans turning out in Sydney to see stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale on the red carpet.
Young children, teenagers and their parents packed out the Greater Union cinemas and lined George Street in the CBD for the premiere of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
Some fans had been there since 8am (AEDT) to get a front row position in the hope of nabbing an autograph, a photo or just to catch a glimpse of the Disney stars.
Cheerleaders warmed up the already excited crowd, and when the Hollywood stars arrived the screams turned from loud to ear-splitting.
"It's very overwhelming," said Hudgens, dressed in a cream BG Max Azria gown.
"It's incredible though, the fans are so amazing."
Hudgens received gifts of flowers from admirers, as well as a large box of Tim Tam biscuits.
"They're my favourite," she said.
"It's so sweet, it's the little things that count."
The High School Musical series follows the story of basketball captain Troy (Efron) and brainy but shy Gabriella (Hudgens) who discover they have a secret passion for singing and try out for the student musical.
In the third and final film, the students hit senior year, having to make tough decisions about their future and putting a question mark over Troy and Gabriella's relationship.
Efron, who is also Hudgens' boyfriend offscreen, inspired some of the loudest squeals from the mostly female crowd.
He said it was a bittersweet experience to be leaving High School Musical behind.
"I love being a part of High School Musical, I wish I could do it forever but everyone's got to grow up," he said.
Efron is set to star in a remake of the 1984 dance film Footloose next but said he's also keen try other movie genres.
"I'd love to try it all," he said.
"I'll see where the wind takes me."
The High School Musical series has sold 15m CDs, 50m books and 4.8m video games and spawned stage shows, concerts and an ice tour since the first TV movie screened in 2006.
A recently brunette Tisdale said it was exciting to see the franchise up on the big screen for the first time
"It's awesome, it's really cool," she said.
"It's my first feature film so it's really weird and different and exciting."
The trio arrived in Sydney yesterday morning, before enjoying a boat trip on the harbour, lunch at Catalina and a shopping trip to Ksubi's flagship store in Paddington.
They will walk the red carpet again in Melbourne on Wednesday.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5001028,00.htmlEarlier report:
Harbouring a few regrets ... Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens with Ashley Tisdale (left) in Sydney today. HIGH School Musical 3 proved to be a "bittersweet" experience for Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, the stars revealed in Sydney today.
The teen heartthrob and his real-life girlfriend have separately gone on to make other films since "graduating".
But they described saying goodbye to the Disney phenomenon that earned each of them millions, and made them both household names, as a wrench.
Hudgens, who was home-schooled, says the films became her version of the high school experience.
"I got to make that close group of friends that you would at high school," she said.
"I got to graduate with them.
"I got to have a prom. And I think I got to have a fairytale prom. The sort of prom every girl wishes she had."
High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the first of the films to be made for the big screen, took $US42 million in its opening weekend in the US, smashing the record for the highest-grossing musical for the third time in a year and a half (Hairspray and Mamma Mia! each took more than $US27 million.)
Hudgens and Efron are in town to attend the film's George Street premiere tonight with director Kenny Ortega and co-star Ashley Tisdale.
"I never would have thought this film would have had the global reach it has," said Ortega yesterday.
"I wept my eyes out on our final scene when the curtain came down. I had that bitter-sweet moment parents have when they send their kids off to college.
"I do fear for them because it's a fickle industry and there's lots of traps.
"But I have great confidence ... that they are going to make good decisions and stay around for a minute," says Ortega, who has directed all three films.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5006002,00.html (which includes links to pics of Zac and Vanessa in Sydney yesterday and today)
QUOTE(sk8erdazza5423 @ Nov 10 2008, 03:38 PM)

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just found out I've won 2 tickets to the Melbourne Premiere this Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats