Chattering students filled the Illini Union’s I-Rooms, seeking out the best seats to view “An Evening with Corbin Bleu,” an event hosted by the Illini Union Board on Wednesday.
Silence washed over the room as Bleu took to the stage. With over 200 people in attendance, the audience craned their necks to get a glimpse of him, attentive to hear what the actor had to say.
The newest installment of the Union’s Speaker Series drew a crowd that wrapped around the Union into the lobby. The series hosts a dialogue with actors, activists and professors, including questions from interviewers and attendees submitted through a form. People could enter a meet and greet with Bleu through the form as well.
Most widely known for his role in “High School Musical” as Chad Danforth, Bleu’s character contributed to the movie’s popularity.
Bleu was only 16 when “High School Musical” was filmed and explained the fame manifested overnight. Just a day after the movie was released, Bleu said he was mobbed in Oahu, Hawaii, during a television shoot.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Bleu’s favorite outcome of “High School Musical’s” popularity was the North America concert tour directed by Kenny Ortega.
“That kind of experience at such an early age gave me discipline for having to do these performances day in and day out,” Bleu said. “It prepared me for what would later become my career.”
The audience erupted into cheers at the mention of “Jump In!” another movie that was integral to Bleu’s career. Being one of the first Disney movies with an entirely Black cast, Bleu said this was a turning point in representation found in Disney, as he was now a main character instead of a best friend.
“In ‘High School Musical,’ I was a supporting character, a token,” Bleu said. “But ‘Jump In!’ had a fully Black cast.”
Bleu said he did not initially grasp the importance of being the racial representation that hadn’t been seen before, but he now does. He mentioned that people continue to come up to him and express their appreciation for being able to see someone on the screen who looks like them. Now focusing on his theater career, Bleu recently finished his run as Seymour in an off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in May.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that film and television pay the bills, I would only do theater,” Bleu said. “I have come to the realization of how having the versatility to go back and forth has made such a huge impact on my life.”
Danielle Koleosho, sophomore in LAS, expressed excitement from seeing a childhood celebrity and the ability to share a space with someone so important to her youth.
“‘Jump In!’ is absolutely a childhood classic for me,” Koleosho said.
Now an adult, learning about the behind-the-scenes of important movies from childhood sheds a new perspective for Koleosho.
“When you do what you love, good things come from that,” Koleosho said. “Hearing him have that passion was really nice.”
Fanatics flocked to this event, basking in the ability to gain a deeper understanding of Bleu’s motivation in making the movies he’s most known for, while others simply enjoyed the moment.
“Seeing him in person was very inspirational,” said Calla Sundquist, senior in Media.
As a superfan, the event meant a lot to Sundquist, who was lucky enough to meet Bleu.
“‘High School Musical,’ all three, are my favorite movies on Letterboxd, which as a film student is kind of embarrassing,” Sundquist said. “But it was great to see him.”
