Back to the 80's
at Capistrano Valley High School

Reviewed on April 30, 2015

Sohrob Nayebaziz
SOCSA Dana Hills
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Capo Valley's "Back to the 80s", like, totally wicked

Kickin' it around campus in high tops and neon jackets, the "trippendicular" teenagers at William Ocean High School are falling in (and out) of love amidst the pandemonium of their senior year. Capistrano Valley High School's production of "Back to the 80s" blasts audiences back to more tubular times, complete with post-punk pop and impossible perms.

When long-time high school graduate Corey Palmer Sr. (Will Conover) decides to take a trip down memory lane, he stumbles upon the good, bad, and ugly memories of 1989. Mannered and mature, Conover introduces and narrates the tales of young schoolyard love with tongue in cheek. His memories grow poignant and powerful, ultimately culminating to a hilariously head-banging performance of Bon Jovi's anthemic "Shot Through the Heart."

Shy and awkward, Conover's past-time counterpart, Corey Palmer Jr. (Alexei Rehorn), pursues coveted girl next door Tiffany Houston (Jasa Davidson) through a struggle through the "friend zone." Hands in pockets and heart on the floor, Rehorn epitomizes unrequited love as he belt professes a passionate love for Houston in the melodramatic "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Davidson develops from ditzy to endearing and shines vocally in numbers such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Contemporary costumes, designed by Madi Null, are spunky and bright, highlighting the styles of the decade's stereotypical punks, nerds, and jocks. Impressively, each character is dressed with at least three costume changes and emphasizes the realism of each scene in the production.

Managed by Jonathan Ramirez, Grayce Lee, and Julia Moynihan, the stage crew efficiently transitions from each scene to the next and creatively dresses the high school walls with different event posters as the days pass within the musical.

Kick off your Sunday shoes and head down to Capistrano Valley High School for a "bomb-digity" jukebox musical that will have you havin' the time of your life.

Sohrob Nayebaziz
SOCSA Dana Hills
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Capo Valley's "Back to the 80s", like, totally wicked

Kickin' it around campus in high tops and neon jackets, the "trippendicular" teenagers at William Ocean High School are falling in (and out) of love amidst the pandemonium of their senior year. Capistrano Valley High School's production of "Back to the 80s" blasts audiences back to more tubular times, complete with post-punk pop and impossible perms.

When long-time high school graduate Corey Palmer Sr. (Will Conover) decides to take a trip down memory lane, he stumbles upon the good, bad, and ugly memories of 1989. Mannered and mature, Conover introduces and narrates the tales of young schoolyard love with tongue in cheek. His memories grow poignant and powerful, ultimately culminating to a hilariously head-banging performance of Bon Jovi's anthemic "Shot Through the Heart."

Shy and awkward, Conover's past-time counterpart, Corey Palmer Jr. (Alexei Rehorn), pursues coveted girl next door Tiffany Houston (Jasa Davidson) through a struggle through the "friend zone." Hands in pockets and heart on the floor, Rehorn epitomizes unrequited love as he belt professes a passionate love for Houston in the melodramatic "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Davidson develops from ditzy to endearing and shines vocally in numbers such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Contemporary costumes, designed by Madi Null, are spunky and bright, highlighting the styles of the decade's stereotypical punks, nerds, and jocks. Impressively, each character is dressed with at least three costume changes and emphasizes the realism of each scene in the production.

Managed by Jonathan Ramirez, Grayce Lee, and Julia Moynihan, the stage crew efficiently transitions from each scene to the next and creatively dresses the high school walls with different event posters as the days pass within the musical.

Kick off your Sunday shoes and head down to Capistrano Valley High School for a "bomb-digity" jukebox musical that will have you havin' the time of your life.

Tyler Ashman
St. Margaret's Episcopal School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Capo's ‘Back to the 80's' is, "Like, Totally Awesome!"

What do flashy outfits, melodramatic relationships, and iconic music have in common? They are definitive of the 1980s, a period of American history remembered for everything from Star Wars to Michael Jackson. Capistrano Valley High School captures all this and more in their production of "Back to the 80's," the story of the ups and downs of Corey Palmer's senior year of high school.

Will Conover narrates the show as an older version of Corey with maturity and nostalgia. He strolls around the stage, hands in pockets, chuckling at his younger self (Alexei Rehorn) and his antics. However, even he gets caught up in the spirit of the 80s: he sings his angry heart out after his crush rejects him in "You Give Love a Bad Name."

Every stereotypical 80's story must have a stereotypical nerd, and Michael Lahaderne as Feargal McFerrin III fits this image to a T. He incessantly pushes up his glasses, hunches as he walks, scribbles furiously in his class notes, and lisps his way through speeches about how technology will take over the world.

The uptight English teacher Miss Brannigan, played by Paige Vanderwarker, adds great comedic value to the show as she desperately chases her lost lover, fellow teacher Mr. Cocker (Casey Corbett). Her melodramatic yet beautiful vocals shine through in songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

The orchestra greatly added to the overall feel of the show. In addition to playing the classic songs, the fully costumed musicians engaged in the story by clapping, snapping, and whistling along to numbers like "Don't Worry be Happy."

The costumes, designed by Madi Null, effectively communicated the flashy nature of the time. As the school year goes on, each character's outfit changes, conveying the passage of time. Also, during the U.S.A. for Africa concert, every person has a unique costume in the style of a famous 80s musician. This adds to the authenticity of the show's time period.

Capo Valley High School's "totally radical" production of "Back to the 80s" doesn't fail to entertain. The iconic music, over-the-top energy, and lovable characters make for laughter and excitement all around.

Tyler Ashman
St. Margaret's Episcopal School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Capo's ‘Back to the 80's' is, "Like, Totally Awesome!"

What do flashy outfits, melodramatic relationships, and iconic music have in common? They are definitive of the 1980s, a period of American history remembered for everything from Star Wars to Michael Jackson. Capistrano Valley High School captures all this and more in their production of "Back to the 80's," the story of the ups and downs of Corey Palmer's senior year of high school.

Will Conover narrates the show as an older version of Corey with maturity and nostalgia. He strolls around the stage, hands in pockets, chuckling at his younger self (Alexei Rehorn) and his antics. However, even he gets caught up in the spirit of the 80s: he sings his angry heart out after his crush rejects him in "You Give Love a Bad Name."

Every stereotypical 80's story must have a stereotypical nerd, and Michael Lahaderne as Feargal McFerrin III fits this image to a T. He incessantly pushes up his glasses, hunches as he walks, scribbles furiously in his class notes, and lisps his way through speeches about how technology will take over the world.

The uptight English teacher Miss Brannigan, played by Paige Vanderwarker, adds great comedic value to the show as she desperately chases her lost lover, fellow teacher Mr. Cocker (Casey Corbett). Her melodramatic yet beautiful vocals shine through in songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

The orchestra greatly added to the overall feel of the show. In addition to playing the classic songs, the fully costumed musicians engaged in the story by clapping, snapping, and whistling along to numbers like "Don't Worry be Happy."

The costumes, designed by Madi Null, effectively communicated the flashy nature of the time. As the school year goes on, each character's outfit changes, conveying the passage of time. Also, during the U.S.A. for Africa concert, every person has a unique costume in the style of a famous 80s musician. This adds to the authenticity of the show's time period.

Capo Valley High School's "totally radical" production of "Back to the 80s" doesn't fail to entertain. The iconic music, over-the-top energy, and lovable characters make for laughter and excitement all around.

Trevor Lown
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Have "The Time of Your Life" at Capistrano Valley's Back to the 80's

The 1980's were a turbulent time, which also gave us some of the most enduring and iconic films and music of the past 50 years. Using these media as a cultural touchstone, Back to the 80's offers a glimpse of that generation's adolescence. These are "The Kids of America", and they are not that different from you or me.

The story follows Corey Palmer (Alexei Rehorn) as he enters his senior year of high school with the plans of running for class president and making it the best year ever. Rehorn brings a relatable, every-man quality to the role, as he exudes a lanky innocence that makes him infinitely endearing.

Accompanying Corey are his two best friends, Alf Bueller (Nico Zani) and Kirk Keaton (Garret Vallejo). They generate an energy of goofy fun, as they and Corey present a friendship that feels very natural and recognizable. The trio especially shines on "Don't Worry Be Happy/Come On Eileen", as they sing to cheer a friend up accompanied only by their snapping fingers, creating an adorably realistic scene.

The aforementioned Eileen (Andrea van den Boogard) is utterly exuberant, demonstrating powerhouse vocals in "Walking on Sunshine". There is never a dull moment for her, finding every moment of comedy in her nerdy character. Complementing her nerdiness nicely are her two best friends, Debbie Fox (Maddy Cole) and Laura Wilde (Bessie Kurzeja), who's hilariously dorky physicality and dancing create the two most memorable characters.

Impossible to forget, however, was Miss Brannigan (Paige Vanderwarker), one of the kids' teachers. Vanderwarker demonstrates unparalleled comedic ability, crafting a totally defined character and never missing a beat. She also consistently shows off powerhouse vocals in songs like "Man in the Mirror" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
The lighting design by Sarah Gruilkowski helps to create the atmosphere of the 1980's, especially in the party sequence and the use of the disco ball in the dance.

The costumes, designed by Madi Null, cleverly create a cohesive high school environment. This is done by creating costumes based off the different stereotypes like nerds, jocks, punks, etc. Props, designed by Emilie Meledy and Julia Moynihan, help create the time period with items such as toy lightsabers and an enormous cell phone.

The 80's may be behind us, but we can still have "The Time of Our Lives".

Trevor Lown
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Have "The Time of Your Life" at Capistrano Valley's Back to the 80's

The 1980's were a turbulent time, which also gave us some of the most enduring and iconic films and music of the past 50 years. Using these media as a cultural touchstone, Back to the 80's offers a glimpse of that generation's adolescence. These are "The Kids of America", and they are not that different from you or me.

The story follows Corey Palmer (Alexei Rehorn) as he enters his senior year of high school with the plans of running for class president and making it the best year ever. Rehorn brings a relatable, every-man quality to the role, as he exudes a lanky innocence that makes him infinitely endearing.

Accompanying Corey are his two best friends, Alf Bueller (Nico Zani) and Kirk Keaton (Garret Vallejo). They generate an energy of goofy fun, as they and Corey present a friendship that feels very natural and recognizable. The trio especially shines on "Don't Worry Be Happy/Come On Eileen", as they sing to cheer a friend up accompanied only by their snapping fingers, creating an adorably realistic scene.

The aforementioned Eileen (Andrea van den Boogard) is utterly exuberant, demonstrating powerhouse vocals in "Walking on Sunshine". There is never a dull moment for her, finding every moment of comedy in her nerdy character. Complementing her nerdiness nicely are her two best friends, Debbie Fox (Maddy Cole) and Laura Wilde (Bessie Kurzeja), who's hilariously dorky physicality and dancing create the two most memorable characters.

Impossible to forget, however, was Miss Brannigan (Paige Vanderwarker), one of the kids' teachers. Vanderwarker demonstrates unparalleled comedic ability, crafting a totally defined character and never missing a beat. She also consistently shows off powerhouse vocals in songs like "Man in the Mirror" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
The lighting design by Sarah Gruilkowski helps to create the atmosphere of the 1980's, especially in the party sequence and the use of the disco ball in the dance.

The costumes, designed by Madi Null, cleverly create a cohesive high school environment. This is done by creating costumes based off the different stereotypes like nerds, jocks, punks, etc. Props, designed by Emilie Meledy and Julia Moynihan, help create the time period with items such as toy lightsabers and an enormous cell phone.

The 80's may be behind us, but we can still have "The Time of Our Lives".