Latest news with #KennyOrtega
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Hybe Latin America to launch new Mexican boy group
Filming begins in Mexico for reality series following formation of five-member boy band Hybe Latin America, the Mexican subsidiary of Hybe, is set to launch a new boy band in Mexico, marking the company's second major project in the region following its recent band survival audition program. The move signals Hybe's accelerating efforts to expand into the Latin music market. According to Hybe Latin America, Thursday, filming has begun for a reality series aimed at selecting members for a next-generation global boy group. The program is being filmed at a custom-built training camp located in a school in Mexico City. 'This project is a creative experiment in how we can discover, nurture and introduce Latin talent to the world,' said Hybe Latin America CEO Kah Jong-hyun. 'With creativity and world-class production capabilities, we're laying the foundation for the next generation of global Latin artists. Our goal is to amplify the Latin voice — louder and farther than ever.' The goal is to form a five-member group and the selection process began with 300 initial candidates chosen from a large pool of applicants. Of those, 16 trainees joined the camp, where they will undergo six months of intensive training. Around 30 professional coaches — including vocal trainers, choreographers, producers and fitness instructors — are supporting the program. Hybe aims to fuse its systematic K-pop training model with the unique cultural and artistic sensibilities of Latin America to develop an original artist incubation model. Rather than relying on traditional TV formats, the company plans to distribute the show across streaming services, social media platforms and music apps on mobile phones. The production team includes an impressive roster of mentors. Kenny Ortega, the acclaimed director and choreographer known for Disney's hit series "High School Musical" and "Descendants," is serving as executive producer. Ortega has also choreographed for the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards and the Olympics and directed the Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It." The show's chief choreographer is Charm La'Donna, who has worked with Kendrick Lamar -- including his 2025 Super Bowl performance, Bruno Mars, Selena Gomez and Beyonce. Vocal coaching will be led by Robert Stevenson, who has trained artists such as Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and SZA. Colombian veteran creators Jaime Escallon and Lucas Jaramillo, who serve as co-creators and executive producers, are overseeing the series' creative direction. Meanwhile, Hybe Latin America is also producing the band audition program "Pase a la Fama" in partnership with US-based Spanish-language network Telemundo. The large-scale show, which aims to discover a new band in Mexico, will premiere on June 8, local time.
Khaleej Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Disney's 'High School Musical' director Kenny Ortega recalls cast of film
High School Musical director Kenny Ortega revealed that he had a premonition while filming the movie's final musical number, and it ultimately came true in a big way. High School Musical is a 2006 American musical television film produced by and aired on Disney Channel as part of the network's slate of original television films. The first instalment of the series was directed by choreographer and filmmaker Ortega from a screenplay by Peter Barsocchini. It stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Alyson Reed, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman. Ortega attended the opening night of Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. During the conversation, the famed director, choreographer and producer recalled one of his most vivid memories from the High School Musical set. "There are a lot of them [memories], so many of them," said Ortega, adding, "But we were filming High School Musical 1, and we were filming the finale, We're All in This Together. And we had all these cameras going, and the cast and the dancers, and I looked into the gymnasium and I said, 'Man, if Disney does the job we're doing here, this is going to reach a lot of people'." "And I took the cast, and I put them in a circle, and I said, 'Get ready. I think your lives are going to change.' And they remember that moment as I do," he continues. "I just had this premonition, this feeling that we were up to something that was going to matter." High School Musical became one of the most successful Disney Channel Original movies of all time and launched the careers of stars like Efron, Hudgens and Tisdale. It also generated two popular sequel films, the third of which was released in theatres in 2008 and earned over $250 million (Dh918 million) worldwide at the box office. Ortega also shared one of his all-time favourite songs from the franchise. "Oh, well, so I like Get your Head in the Game," he said. "There are so many fabulous songs. I couldn't even begin. We had three albums, and all of them just eclipsed anything that had ever happened for a television soundtrack." "And the writers that we had working with us on were of the great composer lyricists, working in film, and television and theatre. So yeah, an endless list of favourites," he said.
