Colourful '80s musical in Alexandria

The Glengarry District High School held its massive year-end musical on April 27, with enough gold leggings, purple sweaters, hoop earrings, rhinestone jackets and Elton John glasses to fill a Value Village.

The colourful show, called Back to the '80s, saw more than 300 people pack the school's gym on the first night.

This week, The Review presents a sound and alide show, featuring interviews with the cast and clips of the music.

Elizabeth Caddell, who has been a music teacher at the school since 1999, said the play had a cast of 65 students.

Auditions started before Christmas and students had rehearsals in February, March and April where they learned more than 20 songs.

Students were accompanied by a band and sang classic 1980s songs such as Walking on Sunshine, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Come on Eileen, Kids in America and Don't Worry, Be Happy.

Caddell said it cost almost $2,000 to pay for the copyrights, which means the goal was to break even with ticket sales.

"I had a blast in this play," said lead actor Evan Dupuis. "It's stressful because there is so much that could go wrong, but it was fun."

Perhaps some of the fashions brought back memories for parents in the audience; showing the eternal truth that what's cool, plus time, equals humour and irony.

A surprisingly witty script also tied the songs into a plot; equal parts Grease and Saved by the Bell.

Indeed - and this is not a criticism - the play featured every teenage cliché in the book: The computer nerd with coke-bottle glasses, the jock captain of the football team, the 'girl next door' who is the secret crush of a shy leading man, the clueless principal, the hip friend who provides a wry phrase, the superficial girl who ends up getting a lesson in humility and, of course, the lead-up to the high school prom.

The audience seemed delighted by the students' fun and enthusiam - like a conga-line version of "Love Shack" by the B-52s.

Karrie McLeod, who played one of the leads, said she was proud to have been in the show. "It took a lot of hard work," she said.

Fellow actress Caitie Chabot also said the choice of the 1980s was a good one.

"It's fun for the audience, and our parents. They all knew the songs and the jokes about back then," she said.