“High School Musical’s” Vanessa Hudgens will play the Midland County Fair this year on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The show is a special 2 p.m. matinee performance.

Most people are quick to associate Hudgens’ success with Disney’s “High School Musical” but the teen star began her career as a child — training in dance, piano and voice. This training led her to roles in “Carousel,” “The King and I” and the film “Thirteen.” Since then she has performed on “Good Morning America” and “Live With Regis and Kelly.”

In “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2,” she was cast as the show’s lead, Gabriella, and is featured singing on the movies’ soundtracks. “High School Musical 2″ became the highest-rated Disney Channel original movie, with more than 8.2 million viewers after it aired in 2007. Her next films include “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” and “Will.”