Penn State’s School of Theatre is set to return to the stage with its newest musical, “Nostalgia Night,” on February 11 at the Pavilion Theatre.

A preview for the show will precede on February 10 after the musical’s originally scheduled first preview was canceled due to last week’s inclement weather.

Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported by Penn State’s New Musicals Initiative, Nostalgia Night follows the Laughlin High School Class of 2021. The high school’s students spend their last night of teenage fun at EnVideon, an underage nightclub with an 80s theme.

“These students were not around for the 80s and yet they know the styles, the fashion, and cultural references of the time,” director John Simpkins said. “They want their own identity and feel the need to capture unique, authentic behavior, rather than being exactly who the world wants them to be.”

Crafted for the Generation Z population, the musical is an homage to youth, self-discovery, change, and, of course, nostalgia.

Simpkins, who also heads up Penn State’s musical theatre program, noted that while Nostalgia Night is not inherently about the COVID-19 pandemic, its relevance is prevalent throughout the show.

“We didn’t set out to write about the pandemic, and it isn’t based on COVID-19, but you can’t not be influenced by it,” Simpkins said. “Even as we stand here talking to each other with masks on, we see just how much COVID has affected us all.”

Performances of Nostalgia Night will run from February 11 to February 19 at the Pavilion Theatre. Evening showings will begin at 7:30 p.m., while matinees will start at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase on Ticketmaster, and a discount for current Penn State students is up for grabs.