As the lights begin to dim with the rock music filling the theater, the unforgettable group of five best friends hustle down the staircase, uniting Forever Young in a music-filled suburban basement at Coppell Arts Center on Saturday. 

Through the afternoon, cast members Brad Baker, Josh Sassanella, Jacob Estes, Avilla Martin, and JJ Poff gave the audience a time-travel feel going back nearly two decades, displaying both the good and bad times, recreating how they found their love for music.

This multi-award-winning production is jam-packed with powerhouse vocals, dynamite choreography, and one sensational true story that is guaranteed to make you feel forever young.

Upon arrival, they reveal their parents’ eclectic records collection, one that’s filled with the greatest hits of all time. Prior to Act I, one-by-one, they introduce themselves and the music that changed their lives forever. The unique set’s basement includes a couch, desk, guitar, basketball hoop hanging on the well, piano, however the most crucial part of it all- their record player. 

“We know you may not have been expecting to see an old basement with a hand-me-down couch and 60-year-old record player,” Baker said. “However, we believe this is the place that can instantly connect even the best of friends and maybe even end up making some music like this.”

From there, this multi-talented cast takes the audience back to the moments where the music they found was all that really mattered. After meeting each cast member and the music that shaped them, we go even farther back to their high school years where they share the hits that taught them how to love. 

To illustrate the difference in years, their dimming of lights result in a swift wardrobe change, with the band members going from casual, modern clothes to bomber jackets, matching 2000s trends. Next, their story continues as they step out of their youth and into a world of uncertainty. 

With each scene change, the band would comedically crowd around whichever main cast member was singing at the moment, keeping the audience engaged and constantly clapping or whistling. In the high school scene, Estes is singing his love letter for a girl he loved in high school with the rest of the band acting as his “fan club,” holding a disco ball above his head and flashlights into his eyes.

“Most people start their story at the beginning or end but we like to start right in the middle,” Estes said. “We all went many different places after we graduated, some far, some near, but traveled to a million places in between.” 

After Forever Young’s 15-minute intermission, we see them in Act II where we follow the guys into the lives they lived after leaving their music-filled basement. First, we join Baker, the Las Vegas crooner, doing his best to make it on the stages where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett sipped whiskey and taught the world to fall in love.

Then we join the homesick athlete, Estes, struggling with stepping out of his small town, into attempting to form his future career as a professional baseball player. 

“It was all there for me – the popcorn, the field, the great players – but the only thing that was missing was the team itself,” Estes said. “Although I didn’t want to say ‘no’ to signing with the New York Mets,  it became really easy to feel alone, not having anyone that felt like home.”

From there, we meet Poff, a hardworking man with dreams of leaving investment banking behind, with the hopes of stepping out from behind his desk and onto a rocking country stage. 

We then see the perspective of Martin, who sails away aboard a cruise ship, only to find the high seas aren’t half as good as the places and friends he’s left behind. Finally, we meet Sassanella, the disillusioned student, who decides to quit school and travel the world, only to find out that running away is just the inspiration he needs to bring the band back together.

“That’s when it hit me. Our lives were getting crazier and crazier, so I then talked to all the guys and they felt the same way,” Sassanella said. “If music was all we needed, maybe that’s where we were headed all along.”

After they all attempt to pursue what they believed were their passions, Forever Young reconciles in New York City to write the very show they have the joy of performing for audiences around the world. 

Ending the show with singing their finale song, “Forever Young,” the group illustrates how music isn’t something that can just be taken away. 

“Music has the healing power that can make a baby laugh and that makes a 90-year old man want to do the boogie,” Martin said. “When you’re lost, find the music because it will always keep you forever young.”

Follow Rhea Choudhary (@rhea_choud) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter