From start to finish Back to the ‘80s shined.

The cast and crew of 58 students worked together to make this musical a sensation. The voices flowed through the auditorium, combining effortlessly into beautiful songs. Catchy hits like “Love Shack” and “Wake Me Up” had audience members singing along and bopping their heads to the beats.

We watched the story of William Ocean High School student Cory Palmer’s senior year unfold. We watched as he ran for student council president, and lost to the most popular guy in school Michael Feldman. We saw him fall in love with the girl of his dreams, literally, and lose her to Michael as well. We sat and witnessed all of the drama that is high school unfold on the stage before us. Despite the fact that the musical was set in the ‘80s, it was still relatable to the typical teenagers today, minus the big hair and bright colors.

The actors on stage performed amazingly and said almost every line perfectly. The band students of the orchestra played perfectly, providing the music for the soloists and the chorus to sing along with.

The highlight of the show was by far Beth Hunter and David Johnson’s rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Both singers put so much passion into the song, making it the most moving part of the show.

The tech students put together a huge set that sat in the middle of the stage that doubled as a platform for the singers as well as a garage. It concealed a hunk-of-junk car that was used for a scene where they sang “Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car” and danced around it.

Overall, the musical was perfectly executed right down to the confetti that fell from the ceiling to end the show.