Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week.

When the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” debuted in late 2019, Bethel Park native Joe Serafini had a recurring guest role in the show while still studying musical theater at the University of Michigan.

For season two, streaming on Disney+ Friday, the former CLO Mini Star has been upped to a series regular playing farm boy Seb, who’s dating fellow thespian Carlos (Frankie Rodriguez). (In a life imitating art twist, Serafini and Rodriguez are now a real-life couple.)

How Serafini, 23, landed the part is a bit of theater kismet that began in Pittsburgh.

Actor-turned-author-turned-screenwriter (“Ferdinand”) and 1998 Upper St. Clair High School grad Tim Federle created “HSM: TM: TS,” which takes place and is filmed at the Utah school where the 2006-08 “High School Musical” Disney Channel movies filmed. In season one of “HSM: TM: TS” the drama club put on a production of “High School Musical;” for season two they tackle Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

As a high school sophomore, Serafini met Federle during a Gene Kelly Awards ceremony in Pittsburgh when Federle was honored with an alumni award. Serafini started as a CLO Mini Star in middle school (“A Musical Christmas Carol,” “Les Miserables,” “Oliver,” “The Sound of Music,” “Peter Pan”) and also played roles in Bethel Park High School productions (“42nd Street,” “Curtains”).

“We followed each other on social media and stayed in touch over the years,” Serafini said of his early interactions with Federle. “He was clearly cheering me on from afar, just a supportive voice (telling me) to keep following my dreams.”

During a senior year trip to New York, Serafini was outside the stage door of Broadway’s “Something Rotten,” starring future “HSM: TM: TS” castmate Kate Reinders, while Federle was working at a nearby theater on final dress rehearsals for his show, “Tuck Everlasting.” Federle spotted Serafini from across the street and came over to say hello.

“It seemed like fate kept bringing us together,” Serafini said.

One day during a college class in 2018, Serafini checked the direct messages on his Instagram and found a casting associate from “HSM: TM: TS” made contact to ask Serafini to tape an audition for the series. After confirming it was a legit request, Serafini auditioned, initially for the role of the jock EJ, and months later Serafini got contacted about playing Seb.

“He reminded me of a younger me,” Federle said of Serafini in 2019, “a Pittsburgh theater kid from a non-theater family who had this dream.”

Serafini, now a University of Michigan graduate, said his parents, David and Vicki Serafini, have always been supportive of his acting interest as it morphed from hobby to chosen career after he played Tony in Bethel Park High’s production of “West Side Story.” Older sister Kristin is also an actor; both siblings now live in Los Angeles.

Prior to “HSM: TM: TS” Serafini appeared in the pilot of locally produced show “Scientastic!,” created by Duquesne University professor John Pollock, but the Disney+ show is Serafini’s big break. And he’s playing a character he can relate to.

“Seb and I are similar in the way we both love theater and we found our spot in high school with the drama club,” Serafini said. “We’re different in that Seb is so much more able to be most himself whenever he’s with his crew. I feel like I was on a slower journey to being my most authentic self.”

Serafini said “HSM: TM: TS” fans can expect to see Seb grow up more in season two.

“Seb’s finally in his relationship with Carlos and by the end of season two he’s navigating how to be in a relationship with someone,” Serafini said, “and also just finding out more about himself and finding his true self.”

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