"Back to the 80s" is Quintessential High School Flashback Musical

Just when you thought you had left the 80s behind, a new production of the high school flashback "Back to the 80s: The Totally Awesome Musical" hits the boards at Albuquerque's Adobe Theater. The show, which opened on August 14 and features such memorable hits as "Walkin' on Sunshine," "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and "Material Girl," chronicles the senior year of Corey Palmer, a loveable nice guy, who seems to finish last when it comes to high school love.

And, just when I thought I had left my high school days in the Southwest behind, I find myself returning to the region from New York City twenty-one years later to play adult "Corey," the guy who takes the audience on the journey into his past, which is full of exploits that would eventually help him get the girl he loves and get a date for the school prom. With the 80s fresh in my mind, this performance experience has been a wonderful blast from the past.

"Back to the 80s" is the universal American 1980s high school story, full of familiar archetypes--the cool guys, the popular girls, the class geek, and both nerdy and hot teachers at the helm of the fictitious William Ocean High School. "Back to the 80s" played to nearly sold out audiences its opening weekend and tickets are expected to go quickly for the next three weekends. "Back to the 80s: The Totally Awesome Musical" runs through September 6. Visit www.adobetheater.org for ticket information.