Take a “radical” trip back to the “gnarly” era of big hair and parachute pants! It’s 1989 and the new girl, Jane, joins a group of high school seniors lead by the confident, yet cocky Mike. With his help, Jane begins a journey of self-discovery amidst a whirlwind of drama that puts everyone’s friendships to the test. With a nostalgic, high-energy score, “Class of ’90 – The Musical” will have audiences laughing and cheering for this eclectic ensemble and their pursuit for love, purpose, and change on the eve of graduation and the ‘90s.

Book, Music and Lyrics by: Erik Przytulski

Author’s Note – April, 2010, from the 1st production that debuted at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, CA.

Had it been any other year, “Class of ’90 – The Musical” may have never existed! When I first entertained the idea of writing an original musical for CMHS, I had some criteria that needed to meet. To start, I wanted to write a show that had high school casts playing their own age. I wanted the show to touch on themes that the students could relate to without being too preachy or totally not fun. But what should it be about? I considered writing something contemporary but I was afraid the music would quickly sound dated as most modern musicals do over time. That’s when it hit me! I could write a show about my own high school experience. It could even be based on my eclectic group of friends known as “The P-Building Crew” so it would provide many colorful roles to play, the cast would be the proper age, and the music would be outdated before I even start! And being that my 20th high school reunion is this year, there would be no better time for this show to happen.

I composed the music as an homage to the hit songs and my personal favorites of the late ‘80s, including Erasure, Jody Watley, Howard Jones, Bon Jovi, The Cure, INXS, Paula Abdul, Richard Marx, Roxette, Michael Jackson, and The Beastie Boys to name a few. It’s true that this show is based on a very real group of friends of mine that routinely met every lunch period in front of the “P” Building. Although the story and characters in this show deviate considerably from the actual events and personalities of the real history and people connected to it, the essence of true friendship and sense of family permeates the entire show.

Poster from 2010 CMHS Production

“Class of ‘90” not only is a nostalgic, musical time capsule that takes you back to an era of big hair and parachute pants, it also explores the themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery. While working with youth theater groups and high schools over the past few years, I’ve also come to realize how much this generation, despite two decades of change in the world, is so much the same as my friends and I were. The overall theme I was hoping to show to past, present, and eventually future generations is that, no matter what era we live in or what changes may take place, we have all shared the same struggles, the same successes, and the same journey to find ourselves. Of course, I feel that our strongest connection between us all lies in our common bond of having to endure some of the most ridiculous trends in fashion and music in our eras! New Kids on the Block? N’Sync? Jonas Brothers? When will it ever end?

Thank you to Kathy for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity, to Jackie for her amazing choreography and bearing with having never heard many of these songs until well into rehearsals, to LouAnn for her great eye for costumes, Jon Hyrkas for his colorful lighting and set design, Vanessa for all your help, Carrise for holding the show together, to all the volunteers and family, to my parents and family, to my muse Jennelle, and to the ORIGINAL CAST of C’90 for bringing this show to life!

And also, a special thanks to the “real” P-Building Crew. It’s because of you that I am who I am today. This musical is both a celebration of the bond we still have to this day and a “thank-you” for all the wonderful years we’ve shared and will continue to share ‘til our next reunion and beyond. It doesn’t get better than this!

Erik Przytulski
Writer of “Class of ’90 – The Musical”