Fast Forward 1985

The Adventurous Eight are a spirited group of singing and dancing teens from Sandusky, Ohio who chase stardom with unwavering dedication after school. The eight members are Matt Sherman, John Scott Clough; Michael, Michael DeLorenzo; June Wolsky, Tamara Mark; Debbie Hughes, Debra Varnado; Rita Diaz, Monique Cintron; Francine Hackett, Cindy McGee; Meryl Stanton, Tracy Silver; and Valerie Thompson, Gretchen Palmer. They spend every available moment rehearsing original songs and choreographies, dreaming of the moment their talents will take them beyond their hometown.

A tacit promise of an audition from Mr. Sabol, David White a well-known dance executive, brings them to New York City. They arrive with hope, only to learn that Mr. Sabol has died. At his company headquarters, they secure a meeting with the new chief, Clem Friedkin, Sam McMurray, who warns that the show they came to perform has been postponed for three weeks. He only offers a slim chance: if they’re still in town when he returns in three and a half weeks, he’ll grant them five minutes to audition. The group agrees to stay, determined to seize any opportunity.

Desperate to survive while they wait, the teens turn a filthy, affordable apartment into a livable space and scramble for meals beyond fast food. Matt devises a plan to dance for tips in a chic restaurant so they can afford steak that night, and the number goes off well enough to let them sit, eat, and catch their breath. Over the next weeks, they keep hustling—passing out business cards and chasing paying gigs—yet they still face real obstacles. A rival, more street-savvy dance crew shows them up, prompting Michael to push the group to learn current moves so they can compete on equal footing. They also contend with troubling harassment from male tenants in their building, a clash that nearly ends in disaster when a window is broken during a fight and two parents must come to bail their daughters out of jail.

Amid the pressure, Matt crosses paths with Susan Granger, Karen Kopins a party planner who hires the group for an event. Their performance at her party draws her attention, and she and Matt share a heated moment, leading his girlfriend June to question her place in the group. A late-night outing, fueled by drinks, tests loyalties and friendships: June decides to stay, while Matt and Susan’s dalliance fuels internal strife. Yet the team presses on, stepping back into The Zoo, where they duel the rival crew once more and come out on top with their upgraded moves.

When Friedkin learns that Susan’s mother helped arrange the opportunity for the group, he blocks the audition at first. Ida Sabol, Irene Worth Mrs. Sabol, sees the potential in the teens and persuades her son to back them by leaning on Mrs. Sabol’s influence and a strategic reference. Sabol then disguises herself to gain access and brings the group on stage, while she mobilizes her own people to ensure they perform. Matt declares he might leave the group, but Michael reveals that Susan had married her longtime boyfriend after using Matt to provoke jealousy, clearing the air in time for a united performance.

On the night of the contest, Mrs. Sabol’s resolve pays off: she takes charge, and her plan begins to unfold. Matt and June reconcile, and the group receives a final surge of momentum as Mrs. Sabol is publicly credited for guiding their moment of triumph. The teens deliver a confident encore that proves their talent and tenacity, and the whole journey bolsters their dream of stardom while vindicating the faith Mrs. Sabol placed in them.