About

1989 the Musical 
1989 the musical™ is an interactive musical that invites you, the audience, to participate.  This is an 80’s musical for the rest of us.  It’s a musical that features the the more obscure songs from the 1980’s, from bands like “The Smiths”, “Echo and the Bunnymen”, “Killing Joke” and singer/songwriters like “Peter Murphy”.

In the 1980’s, this music was called “progressive music” and the kids who listened to it were described as “progressive”, “progressives”, or “new wavers”.  The songs were usually shared on mix tapes, put together by fans, shared among friends.

The Script
I typed the script in a one-week period while listening to music of the time, music that brought those memories from the 80’s simmering to the surface. The script is based on a true story from my experiences working at a McDonald’s in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1986 and 1987.

In the script, I share my real life experiences working at a McDonald’s in the late 1980’s. At the time, I was a student at a nearby private high school. Most of my co-workers attended the rival public school. Working at McDonald’s with public school kids and going to high school parties in the late 1980’s was an experience worth remembering.

Experience Life in the 80’s
1989 the musical brings those experiences to life in an 80’s musical for the rest of us, one that features music of new wave bands of the 1980’s.

Discover what it was like to experience life in the last years of the 1980’s, from the perspective of a kid (me) who attended a private Christian school and worked at a nearby McDonald’s after school and on weekends.

Get ready to dance. Get ready to sing. Get ready to have fun. Experience 1989 the musical.

Finally, an 80’s musical for the rest of us.

Kris Kemp
writer – 1989 The Musical

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If you’re interested in hearing my own music, check out Dumpster Diver the Musical.  For that musical, I wrote the book (script) and score (songs).