‘HSMTMTS’ Star Julia Lester Remixes ‘Home’ for Disney Princess Celebration (VIDEO)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series‘ Julia Lester (who plays teen thespian Ashlyn Caswell) is performing “Home” from Beauty and the Beast again, but it’s going to be a bit different this time.
Lester, who sang a beautiful rendition of Belle’s classic Disney ballad in HSMTMTS Season 2 as the production’s leading lady, will be performing a rockin’ remix of the song for the upcoming music special, Disney Princess Remixed — An Ultimate Princess Celebration, and TV Insider has an exclusive sneak peek. (The special will air on Disney Channel and be available to stream on Disney+.)
Not only does this particular song hold a special place in her heart, Lester especially enjoys this fresh take. “I grew up listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack from the Broadway musical. So when I found out that I was playing Belle in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I was over the moon excited, especially to sing the song ‘Home,'” she says. “Now that I get to sing it in this new re-imagined rock ‘ n roll version, it is even more exciting and I am so excited to perform it.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
“I absolutely loved getting to be back in the dance studio to rehearse this song,” she adds. “We had so much fun coming up with band names and really making the number special and specific to this brand new rendition of ‘Home’!” Watch the clip of her performance above.
The half-hour special, narrated by 12-year-old social media star Txunamy Ortiz, celebrates the empowering attributes of Disney princesses and queens through reimagined performances of their iconic songs. During the special, Brandy will debut her music video for “Starting Now,” the anthem for The Walt Disney Company’s year-long event, “Ultimate Princess Celebration,” which spotlights the courage and kindness that Disney heroines inspire in fans around the world.
Lester’s HSMTMTS costars Dara Reneé (who plays Kourtney) and Frankie Rodriguez (choreographer Carlos), also take on songs, as does Izabela Rose (Upside-Down Magic), Ruth Righi (Sydney to the Max), and Sophia Hammons. The young stars will all perform pop, rock and R&B remixes of songs like “Into the Unknown” from Disney’s Frozen 2, “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog, and “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid.
Disney Princess Remixed — An Ultimate Princess Celebration, Premiere, Friday, August 27, 7:30/6:30c, Disney Channel, also available to stream on Disney+
