Journey back in time on the stage
This year’s Te Puke High School production is going to take its audiences on a journey — a journey back to a time.
At the destination, Michael Jackson and Rick Astley were the kings of pop, bubble skirts and blue eyeshadow were cool and Atari was cutting-edge technology. It’s a journey Back To The 80s.
Set in the USA, Back To The 80s — The Totally Awesome Musical tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School that graduated in the 1980s, as remembered and seen through the eyes of Corey Palmer, who is now 30-something in the 21st century.
The then 17-yearold Corey is madly in love with his nextdoor neighbour, Tiffany Houston, who barely notices this, as she is too busy mooning over Michael Feldman, the hottest guy around.
While Corey and his friends may not be the coolest guys in school, they are still one up on Feargal McFerrin III, whose best friend is his computer, and who believes the crazy notion that one day CDs will replace cassette tapes.
Meanwhile, the teachers are having issues of their own.
Mr Cocker, after being in a relationship for two years with the apparently conservative English teacher Miss Sheena Brannigan, he finds out she is keeping a secret that causes him to doubt everything about her. Throw in a Star Wars dream sequence, high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80s party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, 20 cans of hairspray, as well as some of the most popular songs ever written, and the result is a musical that will delight and amuse an audience of any age. Back To The 80s — The Totally Awesome Musical is written by Neil Gooding and is presented by arrangement by David Spicer Productions. Back To The 80s — The Totally Awesome Musical season will start with a gala opening on June 26, with preshow nibbles, interval desserts and coffee, juice and wine. Tickets for this show will be $25 per person and if you would like to book a table for a group, please contact the school office and let them know how many are in your group. The rest of the season runs from June 27 to 30 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for school students ($36 family concession of two adults and two students) and can be purchased at the school office.