Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega stole even more hearts with his latest out-of-this-world show “Julie and the Phantoms,” released on Netflix Sept. 10.
Ortega has always been a legend on the screen, from movies like “Hocus Pocus” and “Dirty Dancing” to the “High School Musical” and “Descendants” series. His newest show doesn’t disappoint, and many feel that is reminiscent of all his greatest hits. Honestly, it might be his best work to date.
The show begins in 1995 with a band called Sunset Curve about to play the biggest gig of their life. Unfortunately, guitarist and lead singer Luke, drummer Alex and bassist Reggie die before they could make it big.
Flash forward to the present day, Latin-American teen Julie struggles with playing music due to the loss of her mother. As Julie is about to give up, Luke, Alex and Reggie appear as ghosts in Julie’s music garage. As the boys test out their new ghostly normal, they help Julie find her love of music again.
Like the cliché of most ghost plots, Julie is the only one who can see the band members. But there’s a twist—the guys can be seen and heard when they play music with Julie. They create the titular band Julie and the Phantoms, and thus their musical journey begins.
Fitted with vibrant ’90s costumes, the castmates’ electric chemistry hooks viewers from the start. This chemistry stems from countless time Ortega spent searching for musicians and singers that he could mold into the perfect band.
Ortega found Luke, Alex and Reggie in Charlie Gillespie, Owen Joyner, and Jeremy Shada, respectively.
Finding an actor to play Julie was harder. Ortega auditioned countless girls to find his Julie before deciding to ask around at many arts high schools. That’s where Ortega obtained a video of newcomer Madison Reyes, whom he knew was special from the start. When Ortega called her to audition in-person and added her to the guys, Julie and the Phantoms came to life.
The rest of the cast features more rising stars, such as Savannah Lee May and several “Descendants” alumni including Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson, Jadah Marie and Boo Boo Stewart. The show had to be a hit with such a talented cast.
The plot’s inclusivity should also put the show on anyone’s radar. Joyner’s character, Alex, is an openly gay male with a love interest, Willie—portrayed by Stewart. Ortega expressed how, as a gay man, he wishes he could have had a role model in childhood. He feels that Alex’s character is important for all viewers.
Aside from Alex and Willie’s relationship, the show plays with the classic love triangle trope between Julie, Luke, and a classmate of hers—Nick, played by Sacha Carlson. It’s extremely frustrating to watch the triangle unfold, but it’s deeply interesting to watch a relationship between a human and ghost play out on the screen.
Aside from romance, familial relations and friendship pour heart into the screen. The band becomes a family before a viewer’s eyes. Julie’s relationship with her best friend Flynn, portrayed by Marie, is one for the record books. Julie’s family is also incredibly close, especially after the loss of their mother.
Grief and loss are two major themes that the characters cope with. Julie has lost her mom and Luke, Alex, and Reggie mourn the lives they once had. The show focuses on Luke’s storyline in season one, but there’s hope that Alex and Reggie will get equal screen time in the future.
“Julie and the Phantoms” wouldn’t be a musical show without a killer soundtrack. Every song is incredible! There are songs that make you want to rock out like “Now or Never” and powerful anthems like “Stand Tall.” “Unsaid Emily” is a tear-jerking ballad. It’s hard to choose just one favorite from the 15 songs, but “Perfect Harmony” holds a special place in my heart as Reyes and Gillespie wrote the song and pitched it to Ortega who put it in the show.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed a season two yet, but with a heart-wrenching cliffhanger and more relationships and backstories to explore, there’s a lot for Ortega to dig into.
Until then, all we can do is play the soundtrack on loop and re-watch the nine episodes that Ortega has gifted the world.