The 80s come to an end tonight with the final performance of That ‘80s Show.  The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI) has been affectionately nicknamed “Smitty.”  Since 2005, SMTI has been offering Arkansas youths the opportunity to experience a two week summer conservatory which culminates in a staged performance.  Many of the SMTI youth then return for the production during the school year.

This fall, The Rep’s Young Artists are performing That ‘80s Show” which they have subtitled “We Built this “SMITTY” on Rock and Roll!” (Some might argue that not only is the pun a groaner, but the song title it references is one of the 1980’s nadirs.) Though none of the performers were even born in the 1980s (some probably weren’t even born in the 1990s), these scores of kids will sing, dance and charm the audiences.  Nicole Capri, who recently received the Governor’s Arts Award for Arts Education, has again devised and directed this musical, which features musical direction by Karen Q. Clark.

Performances are NOT on stage at the Rep this year.  Instead they are at Wildwood Park for the Arts in the Lucy Lockett Cabe Theatre.

So hop in your DeLorean or Chrysler K-Car, flip up the Izod collar, slip into the vans, put the Ray-Ban Wayfarers on and relive the decade of New Coke, cassette tapes, TRS-80 computers, Reaganomics, This Can’t Be Yogurt, Dynasty, The Preppy Handbook, Yuppies and MTV actually playing music.