Learn about Springfield native and High School Musical star Lucas Grabeel from the woman he took to the High School Musical Two premiere.

It’s called “High School Musical,” but it has students of all ages singing and dancing.

“I like all the songs,” said 7-year-old Kelsie Mitchell.

“I like High School Musical a lot,” agreed another 7-year-old, Anna Rader.

“Who's your favorite character?” KOLR/KSFX’s Angie Weidinger asked of the girls and 7-year-old Courtney Marmouget quickly responded, ”Lucas!”

And these locals are definitely not the only ones cheering for Springfield native, Lucas Grabeel.

“The red carpet had hundreds and hundreds of people lined up to the theatre and that was strange to walk down that,” said Jean Grabeel, Lucas’s mom.

She was her son’s date to the Disneyland premiere of High School Musical Two.

“It was just the lights flashing everywhere, which was very intense!” remembered Jean.

But that only reflects the intensity of her son’s new fame.

“It really has been a whirlwind experience for him,” explained Jean.

After all, it wasn’t that long ago when he was acting on the Kickapoo High School and Springfield Little Theatre stages.  And, then after graduation in 2003, it was off to L.A.  There, he met a manager while buying a smoothie at the mall.

“I was like, you're kidding and then I said, ‘Don't get in the car with him and I thought what is this man going to do to my son!’” said Jean.

What he did was help launch Lucas’s career with commercials, television sitcom appearances and eventually High School Musical.

“And life has changed completely since then,” said Jean.

Now there are store shelves full of High School Musical products.  So, what does Lucas's mom think about seeing her son’s face everywhere?

“It is very strange to see that,” she responded.  “When he first started, I was trying to collect all of them.  Now I have to pick and choose because he's in the teen magazines quite frequently and I can't keep up.”

She does have a few favorites.

“He made the cover of TV Guide, so what Mom wouldn't be prouder of a son who made the cover of TV guide and it's for a good thing!” says Jean.

Her son’s movie mania has even affected her life.

“The weirdest thing is when people come up to me who know I'm his mother and they ask to touch me because they know I'm related,” Jean said as she laughed.

Despite how recognized Lucas’s character, Ryan Evans, has become she says he’s still Lucas and he’s not anything like that character.

“In fact, he said no one wears that much pink,” said Jean.

And, unlike Ryan Evans, Lucas isn’t a fan of fame.

“I don't know why people would want to do this,” said Lucas at the High School Musical Two premiere. “It's crazy!  There are people screaming, and I can't even hear.”

“That's not why he's in it or why he does it,” explained his mom.  “It just comes along with it.  He's still very much the same.”

His mom can see that past all of the lights and screaming fans and that’s what really makes her proud of her actor son.

“That shows me he’s kind and considerate and has his manners, so that's good,” said Jean.

Lucas's mom was able to give KOLR/KSFX some High School Musical insider information.  She says if you listen closely in the second movie when Sharpay and Ryan are pulling up to the country club in the pink Mustang, the song playing on the radio is one Lucas wrote and sang.

Even though the high school in the movie is supposed to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, both of the movies were actually shot in Utah.

And, the next time you watch the movies, count how many hats you see people wearing.  The man in charge of costumes loves hats and makes a point to include several in most of the scenes.

As for Lucas, look for him on the big screen this January in a film called Alice also staring Luke Perry and Penny Marshall.  He's also working on a couple other movies including one called The Adventures of Foodboy.  Plus, this month miniature Lucases will hit store shelves in the form of a Ryan Evans doll. 

Read more of Jean Grabeel’s interview on Angie Weidinger’s anchor blog.