Review: 90S DREAMS FAN FEST at Stitch Bar & Blues Reunites TV Sitcom California Dreams Cast

Nostalgia, in case you hadn’t noticed, is in.  Well, the truth is it has always been in, but thanks to many, many TV show reboots, it is really all the rage these days.  But do you know what TV show hasn’t had a reboot?  California Dreams.  And if the turnout at their recent NYC concert is any indication, it might be time.

California Dreams premiered in September of 1992 and ran for five seasons as part of NBC’s Saturday morning lineup.  The storyline focused on the teenagers of a West Coast beach town, on their daily shenanigans, and on their band, one that played all original tunes.  The television show had legions of fans who made it a relative success, and the young actors tasked with playing the titular band of the situation comedy.  When the show went off the air, the actors, all very close, stayed in touch, but they were never able to fully reunite again… until October 13th.

It was twenty-five years since they had all been together, but the cast of California Dreams all gathered at Stitch Bar & Blues in Midtown Manhattan where they spent the day greeting fans, signing autographs, doing panels, Q&A’s, photo ops, and living in the love the people have for the actors, the characters, and the show, still, all these years later.  

Joining the California Dreams for the nostalgia fest was Thomas Ian Nicholas, fellow teen actor and star of the American Pie series, who now fronts a band bearing his name.  Mr. Nicholas participated in the day of panels and signings and, after a break for rehearsals and sound check, all of the celebrated guests kicked off a concert on the Stitch stage, with the Thomas Nicholas Band going first for about an hour, in a set of songs, many original but some that were recognizable covers (the band has some new music out - check out their Instagram page HERE) and, finally, with the Stitch Bar fully packed to the rafters with fans, the California Dreams took the stage to perform songs like “Castles On Quicksand” and “If You Only Knew” and, of course, the “California Dreams Theme Song” (which might have included a sing-a-long, #bighint).  The fans were beside themselves, living their best lives, and (naturally) filming the whole thing.

Present for the reunion were Brentley Gore, rocking out on guitar, Jenny Kwan and Kelly Packard making some great harmonies together from center stage, William James Jones, belting it out from stage left, and Jay Anthony Franke and Aaron Jackson, supporting their crew with some powerful vocals and more harmony on stage right.  Diana Uribe and Michael Cade acted as emcees and impromptu ballroom dancers after making jokes about being the members of the cast who did not sing on the show.  The band sounded great.  There's no telling what each of these actors did in their lives since California Dreams went off the air but one thing is for certain: they have all kept singing.  The quality of the music was exactly what the fans wanted, what they hoped for, and what they deserved.  It was a special night for everyone, from the audience to the actors, and one can't help but wonder... what WOULD a California Dreams reboot look like?

There's only one way to find out.  Is there a producer in the house?

Visit the STITCH BAR & BLUES website HERE.

 

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