Alyson (Annie Potts) is a music teacher who runs an after-school musical theater program. When school budget constraints threaten to eliminate her program, the six students who were in her original group decide to raise money for the continuance of the esteemed program by restaging their first musical ("Life, The Musical") from their high school days.
Their adult lives are now more complicated than their teenage lives, and some dreams have been lost along the way. In addition, Alyson suffered a tragic loss that affected her lifestyle and personality.
Much of the story is told via flashbacks. The early part of the film lurches from character to character, present to past, with an irregular pace that is annoying. And a couple of inadequate performances do not help. But the performances of the six main characters and Annie Potts are solid, especially since they must act and sing.
In the story, the cathartic process of reassembling and rehearsing for the stage performance helps to resolve many of the sharacters' issues. It is no surprise that this TV movie wraps everything up in a pretty bow by its end, but the final minutes of the film are its best.
The notion that an after-school music program might benefit students is really not controversial. In the film, the concept of using private funds is their Plan B, but it's probably the best solution after all.
