There is no denying that this man is a complete genius. For those who don’t know, Kenny Ortega is the brilliant mind behind some of the most successful Disney Channel franchises in recent memory, if not ever (don’t quote me on that because I don’t have exact numbers), with two of the most notable being the “High School Musical” and “Descendants” trilogies. Now, I know there are several opinions about movie musicals, but go with me for a minute. Hear me out.

When the first "High School Musical" film was released in 2006, it reached a level of unprecedented level of success and became an international phenomenon almost overnight, launching the careers of stars like Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale. I know third grade me absolutely swooned at my Troy Bolton folder and led “High School Musical” themed karaoke at a friend’s birthday party. (Quick story. My dad was in Italy in August of 2010, and spent some time with an Italian family. The son was watching and singing along to "High School Musical" in Italian. As the father of two then-High-School-Musical-obsessed little girls, my dad participated in an Italian-family-led-High-School-Musical-sing-along, accidentally proving my aforementioned point.) What began as a Disney Chanel Original Movie became so popular that the third installment in the trilogy was actually released in theaters, and, according to the “High School Musical 3 Senior Year” IMDb page, made $252,909,177 at the box office worldwide.

Most recently, Ortega created the Netflix series “Julie and the Phantoms,” which has since won several Emmy awards. I mean, come on.

I really can’t speak on the "Descendants" trilogy, other than that it featured a new era of Disney Channel royalty, including Dove Cameron (who has since become a theater queen in her own right) and Cameron Boyce (RIP).

But I think the very fact that I am most familiar with “High School Musical” sends an incredibly powerful message. For each generation of kids that have come along in the last 40 years (yes, I said 40...he was involved in "Pretty in Pink," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and "Dirty Dancing"), Ortega has managed to create a musical-based fandom that has reached unprecedented levels of success. A child who may not otherwise be exposed to musicals or the idea of theater suddenly has an accessible, family-friendly Disney Channel movie that they can grab onto. It may not be the same as walking into a Broadway theater, but can anyone deny that a movie musical still has the power to spark that special something that gives us the itch to randomly break into song?

Ortega has managed to light that spark across generations all over the world. Dove Cameron may have gotten her start on Disney Channel, but look at her now. She starred as Cher in the off-Broadway production of “Clueless” and swept the Hollywood Bowl production of “Mamma Mia!” as Sophie. Suddenly all her television fans see her on stage, further expanding their view of theater and what it can be.

“High School Musical” was adapted into a stage musical, for goodness sake. It was my spring musical during my junior year of high school, and even with a blizzard on opening weekend, it was still the fastest our show has ever sold out. Not because it’s the most profound or competitive show to put on, but because of what it meant to everyone and that lasting impact it had on the community. I remember our Troy Bolton epitomized the character, as the actor was both a football player and a theater kid himself, proving that although it may be a cliché, theater really does have a place in real life.

So yes, I would like to take a moment and thank Kenny Ortega for the profound impact his work has had and for expanding the idea of what a musical can be. Special thanks to the Instagram For You page for sending me down this rabbit hole.

Feature Photo Credit: Kenny Ortega (center) and the cast of "High School Musical"; Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images (Also can we acknowledge how very mid-2000s these dresses are? I love it)