If you were lucky enough to be a teenager in the glory “Fame” years of the early 80s, you already know what I’m talking about. The theatre geeks waited decades, well, I guess, maybe 7 years since “Godspell”, for that new musical soundtrack that everyone hummed along to, and, in 1981, it was “Fame”. When not learning our lines or trying on costumes, us theatre kids spent our time making up stories or
dancing to Duran Duran or discussing “General Hospital” plot lines. In those days, I frequently travelled with a boom box, no, not on my shoulders, but cradled in my arms like a baby-My Baby! Lunch was about 44 minutes long and usually left us 20 minutes to party. Well, one glorious time, 5th period lunch got a real treat.
About six of us, including star dancer Didi, Cheryl the drama geek with the big bosoms and Jenn, my faithful trusty Trekkie friend, well, we popped the “Fame” tape in and lip synched “Hot Lunch Jam”-and IT WAS EVERYTHING! Even the jocks, dressed in early 80s short shorts with feathered hair parted in the middle, jumped in on the fun. Just like the film, we jumped on lunch tables, did pirouettes in the lunch lines and mouthed about Shady Sadie, serving Lady. As the man with the boom box, I did get busted but that was the best damn detention I ever had 😉