- Hey, I'm Dara Renee,
and I play Courtney on High School Musical:
The Musical: The Series on Disney Plus.
And I will be making a gingerbread house
and answering some questions.
So let's see how this works, 'cause I can't cook.
(cheerful music)
Fun fact, I've never made a gingerbread house before.
My game plan right now
is kind of like a Picasso,
the more messy it is, the more unique it is.
See this right here?
This is worth millions.
I'm not a good cook,
but that doesn't mean I don't wanna learn.
I watch Tasty videos all the time to get my recipes.
When I follow something, I'm good,
but freehanded (grunts).
My go to recipe, ravioli (laughs).
But not like the good ooh, muah ravioli,
like the microwavable kind.
So what's happening
is the icing is kind of doing its own thing.
And I'm allowing it,
because I want it to be itself and to be free.
We have this lane here in L.A., Candy Cane Lane.
All these houses just light up,
and I've been going since I was like really young.
And I just love driving and listening to music,
and seeing all the houses lit up
and all the kids drinking hot chocolate.
Now I kind of just go with my mom
and we kind of just like reminisce.
I love it so much.
When I think of gingerbread house,
I think of the story Hansel and Gretel.
I see them in the woods, you know,
and that's why I'm adding trees.
The trees are falling, because life is not perfect.
If it falls when no one's around,
do gummy bear trees make a sound?
We don't know.
I had a fear of dolls, still do.
Chucky did not help,
and one of my mom's friends decided
to give me a life size doll
that looked like me and was taller than me.
And my mom was like,
let's keep her in your room.
And I was like, we are not keeping
that possessed thing in my room.
I wonder where she at right now.
Hey dolly sis, I know you watching this.
I was such a big fan of "High School Musical",
like I was obsessed.
I knew all the choreography.
I still know all the choreography.
I know all the songs from one, two, and three.
I do have the video game.
I have the puzzle.
I have everything, the bed sheets.
Monique Coleman was my home girl.
Vanessa Hudgens was my.
I mean, like literally,
I was like all of them are my best friends.
And they don't even know it yet,
but they're gonna be.
When I found out I was gonna be in the show,
I almost started crying.
I was like, oh, my gosh.
This is so crazy.
I can't believe I'm about to be
in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
My character was only supposed to be in one episode,
and then they were like,
we want you to be a series regular.
And I was like ah, yay.
That was such an awkward scream.
I was like ah.
It is coming back for season two.
We don't know the show yet,
I just rubbed my hands all up on these M&Ms.
I'm so sorry.
For all those that are watching,
my hands are clean.
Pretzel and the chocolate,
I didn't think it was gonna stick,
but it did and I appreciate that.
Right now I don't know the way,
and I don't even know what's happening next,
but I'm down for the ride.
So working with the rest of the cast was so much fun.
We're so different that it just works.
Everyone in the show is literally so talented,
and I see all of them just going on
and being superstars.
They're amazing, I love you guys (lips smack).
My favorite song to perform
would be Born To Be Brave.
As soon as that song came on, I was like (beeps).
Stream it now, ooh.
Playing Courtney was so much fun.
She's like so bold,
and I just really appreciate her uniqueness.
I would really wanna be her friend.
Hopefully she'd wanna be my friend.
Courtney, oh wait,
that got so like black mirror (snorts).
Courtney, yes.
Wow, this is what my brain looks like right now.
When I saw Monique Coleman on "High School Musical",
I got so much inspiration.
I was like if she can do it, I can do it too.
Oh, my gosh, gummy bear stick.
I really hope that I can do that,
like be able to inspire girls as well.
That would be really cool.
My advice for aspiring actors and actresses out there,
I would say just keep believing in yourself
and just know that there's only you.
'Cause you're gonna be like, oh, she's better,
she's this, he's that, but no.
You're perfect the way you are.
And what you bring to the table is important,
because whatever you're gonna bring,
that's the only person that's gonna bring it, okay?
We're gonna put colorful snow because it's Christmas,
and this looks so gross.
I'm so sorry.
So we're gonna put some snow at the top.
This is my gingerbread house,
and it's changing, and it's falling, and it's staining
because we're all a work in progress,
so art imitating life.
It's new, it's fresh.
How many people make gingerbread houses like this?
I don't know any.
Thank you guys so much for watching.
Make sure you guys tune in
to watch High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
on Disney plus,
and until we meet again.
Maybe I'll make some ice cream handmade
or toast, I can make really good toast.