Junior Theo McCarthy is returning to the BFS stage to play the titular Robbie Hart, the lovelorn 1980s Jersey boy making his living crooning at a wedding banquet hall. “He’s in love with the idea of love,” explains Theo of his character, known for his sappy love ballads. “He meets a girl, Julia, she’s a waitress at the wedding hall.” Problem: Julia’s engaged to Glen Gulia, “a total jerk. I go on this quest for love. It’s a really fun musical.”

Julia is played by sophomore Victoria Lagano, who gave a stellar performance in last year‘s Into the Woods. “Julia’s engaged but she has feelings for Robbie,” she explained of her new role as the ingenue. To be or not to be the ghoulish sounding "Julia Gulia;"  that is her question.

Robbie, too, was engaged at the beginning but was stood up at the altar. His confidante Sammy, played by sophomore Jacob Ginsberg, tries to console him. “He’s Robbie’s best friend. He’s got his back,” explained Jacob. “He thinks he’s smooth but in reality he’s ridiculous. He dated Holly but she broke up with him.”

Senior Anna Eden, who has performed in numerous BFS productions and hopes to major in drama at Emerson College, plays Julia’s best friend Holly. “She’s Julia’s cousin and she’s a little bit, shall we say, scandalous. She decides she likes Robbie, but she ends up with Sammy.”

“There’s a lot of mixed up love in the play," Theo interjected.

Senior Jamara Hill, who also plans to major in drama in college, covers several roles in the play including Debbie, Crystal, Robbie’s promiscuous grandmother Rozie (“she comforts Robbie when his fiancee Linda leaves him”) and her favorite of all, Tina Turner--a performance not to be missed. 

Does the play have a message? Theo thought for a moment. “Follow your heart.”

The others nodded. “Love will find you,” add Anna, referring to a song in the play.

What does the say about the sanctity of marriage? “It says you must find the right person,” concluded Theo.

The play also contains ubiquitous 1980s references ranging from the moonwalk to New Coke to A Flock of Seagulls and plenty of poofy hair. “Lucky for you the McRib sandwich is only available for a limited time,” says a distraught , high-maintenance Sammy to Holly during a heated spat. “And you know something? So am I!”

The play is directed by Middle-Upper School Theater teacher Jeremy Richards and the musical director is BFS Choral Director Russell Marsh.