We know that "Fame" (which finally comes out today!) is a reboot of the 1980 movie musical — we've spent all week celebrating its release with tons of cast interviews and behind-the-scenes info — but how closely does it follow the structure of the original film? Here, we took a closet look at the main characters from each movie to see how the new class stacks up.

Shy Denise (Naturi Naughton, pictured above, right) is forced by her parents to study classical music instead of the R&B she's actually interested in, reminding us of two characters from the original film who also strived to impress their parents. Wallflower Doris Finsecker (Maureen Teegy, pictured above, left) was pushed into auditioning for the school by her slightly overbearing mother but blossomed into a confident actress over her four years, and actor Montgomery MacNeil (Paul McCrane) struggled to even show up at all on his famous mother's radar.

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Time to pick your sides, Crushers. A school rivalry is brewing between East High and the New York High School for the Performing Arts. In fact, "Fame" star Kherington Payne's got some fighting words for those singing and dancing Wildcats.

"I mean, 'High School Musical' is a great movie for that audience and for what it is," said the former "So You Think You Can Dance" contestant. "It's entertaining and it's great, but I think 'Fame' brings a more gritty... it's more real. It's not wake up with makeup every morning and sing a song all together."

We won't have to wait long to see which side emerges victorious seeing as "Fame" shimmies into theaters today. I have a feeling Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and company will win this dance off. But maybe that's just me. Click play on the clip below to hear more from Kherington on the differences between "Fame" and "High School Musical."

Who do you think will win the hearts of musical movie goers once and for all: "Fame" or "High School Musical"? Or do you think the audiences for the two will be completely different?

In honor of "Fame" week here at Hollywood Crush we've been introducing you to the fresh-faced students of the New York High School of Performing Arts. You've already met singer Denise (Naturi Naughton), dancer Kevin (Paul McGill), Hump Day Hottie Malik (Collins Pennie) and rich girl Alice (Kherington Payne). Today, it's my pleasure to introduce you to cutie pie Marco, singer and boyfriend to Kay Panabaker's Jenny, played by Asher Book.

Asher and Marco have much more in common than just near-perfect pipes. In fact, the V Factory member told MTV News that he and his "Fame" character are quite similar. "Marco, he is a lot of me," Asher said. "He's very happy-go-lucky, very normal kid. [He] comes from a really good family, has a lot of siblings but kind of grows up in the family restaurant."

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It's not often students and faculty rub elbows after the final bell, but that's just what happened last night in L.A. as the cast of the singing/dancing flick "Fame" hit the black carpet at The Grove for the movie's big premiere.

Naturi Naughton (who sang at the event before Asher Book's boy band V Factory took the stage) looked stunning in a shiny purple mermaid gown, while equally fashionable Asher (on her right) was working a slate gray suit with some funky white sneaks. Taking a more casual approach to the evening was this week's Hump Day Hottie Collins Pennie. Collins was clad in head-to-toe black (including what appear to be exercise gloves), and topped off his look with a green jacket with blue detailing.

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As "Fame" week continues on Hollywood Crush, we want you to get to know as many of the High School of Performing Arts' magnetic personalities as possible (just yesterday, you said hello to dancer Kevin, and a while back rich girl Alice introduced herself). So today, meet Denise (Naturi Naughton). She's well-mannered, studious and really good at tickling the ivory. The only problem is that Denise is dying to break out of her shell and explore the world of a music in a way that she's never been able to before, but she's not sure she even knows how. "Denise is extremely shy," notes Naturi. "She actually comes from a very sheltered background. Her parents want her to be a classical pianist and [Denise] is so focused on that — to please her parents initially — and she's not following her heart."

That "Fame" complex that seems to take over most of the students in these halls eventually sets in, and thanks to a powerful solo performance of "Out Here On My Own," Denise realizes she needs to find her own path. The song (which can also be found on the "Fame" soundtrack) is about figuring out who you are, Naturi explains. "That's kind of what happens ... eventually [Denise] convinces [her parents] and says, 'Look, whether you like it or not, classical music is not who I am. It's singing and being an artist and being R&B. That's what makes me light up, that's what makes me feel good.' And she goes for it and she's really good." Press play below to hear more from Naturi, and get ready to follow her dream come this Friday when "Fame" is released.

Collins Pennie is ready for his close-up. The "Fame" star may have learned a lot from his street tough background, but now the actor, who has a good shot at being the break out of the flick, may prove himself to be a threat to his Hollywood competition. Plus, he's easy on the eyes, which is why he's joining the illustrious ranks of the Hump Day Hottie clan.

Press play on the video below to see more of Collins and keep reading for more juicy details about him.

Vital Stats: The 25-year-old Brooklyn native didn't always have it easy. Growing up in Brooklyn he lived in several foster homes before moving away at 15 to make it in Hollywood. Now, his nickname is aptly "Hollywood." Read more...

Once you've received your diploma and sidled out of the auditorium to the flourish of "Pomp & Circumstance," it's unlikely you'll return to high school until the dreaded 10-year reunion (which may be closer for some of us than we'd care to admit). But that wasn't the case for "Fame" star Paul McGill who filmed scenes for the musical in the halls of his alma mater.

Paul, a Broadway veteran who plays dance student Kevin in the remake, said coming back to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts to shoot parts of "Fame" was naturally an odd experience. "It was a bit weird because I hadn't been back there in a while, so there was a lot of those memories," he recalls. "Plus, I was doing something new with higher stakes."

Before being cast in "Fame," Paul's biggest claim to, er, fame was playing the young version of tightrope walker Philippe Petit in "Man on Wire." Click play on the clip below to hear more about his surreal experience returning to high school.

After this week, you're for sure going to remember their names. In case you missed the memo (maybe a singing telegram would have been more apropos?) it's "Fame" week here at Hollywood Crush. As we gear up for the raucous remake of the '80s classic (which opens Friday), we've made the talented, photogenic, cool (and apparently overachieving) cast members of the musical flick the focus of this week's "Star Gazing."

Click on the photo below to see more cast shots and read on to learn all the deets you need to know about the students of the New York City High School for Performing Arts.

Read on for more "Fame" after the jump. Read more...

The effects of "Fame" are already being felt — literally and figuratively — for some of the stars of Friday's showstopping movie release. On the VH1 Diva's red carpet last week, Asher Book confirmed to MTV News that his boy band V Factory is about to release its second single, which will be feature a special sound: the powerful vocals of Asher's "Fame" costar Naturi Naughton.

The idea for the collaboration on the song, which is called "Get Up," began on the set of the upcoming musical. "We built the relationship and then afterward, you know, she just has such a phenomenal voice and we thought it would be cool to have a female vocalist on [the track] to see how that would sound, so it came out good," Asher recalls. As far as the rest of the V Factory album goes, Asher says it will probably be out around October or early November. "We're just trying to get the single out first," he adds. V Factory, be warned, we have a feeling your fan base is about to grow a lot bigger come this Friday when Asher struts his stuff on the big screen.

By James Dinh

Kick off your shoes and get ready to dance— "Fame" week has officially arrived on Hollywood Crush! Over the next five days, we're going to be bringing you all kinds of content from Friday's musical release, "Fame" (think interviews, clips and looks back to the original movie).

Today, the "Fame" kids are "hungry" for action. What better place for the students of New York City High School of Performing Arts to break out in a little song and dance than the cafeteria (it's a quite popular to bust a movie among food these days ... do you recall the "Stick To The Status Quo" number in "High School Musical"?). In a scene from the upcoming film, the students chant out in unison a little aspiring tune as some stomp and prance around tables in a moment of glory. But not all are loud and proud — Denise (Naturi Naughton) looks as if her lunch room has been turned into feeding time at the local zoo. Press play below to see how the cafeteria chaos unfolds, and check back with us all week for more on "Fame"!