Rags to Riches - Totally Cool 80's Orphan Musical

Imagine a movie that combines Facts of Life with Annie and music from the 60s. That's what you get with Rags to Riches. 

What I thought was a movie from the 80's though is in fact an extended pilot for a TV series that lasted one and a  half seasons.

Like Facts of Life, you get the ethnically diverse cast of various ages, and shapes. Like Annie, you get the fun loving orphans who break out into songs. Songs from the 60s with modified lyrics to go with the plot.

The plot is a fairly typical fairy tale orphan story. A rag tag team of orphans get adopted by a grumpy rich guy. The girls end up with a father and a sense of structure in their lives while the grumpy rich guy ends up softening up. It's a very familiar tale, with a very familiar outcome, but the journey is real fun and glittered up with an adorable cast and these ultra cute 60s pop songs.

I am especially in love with their rendition of "Dream Lover," in this movie reworked as "Dream Maker," sung by the orphan girls in the hopes of keeping a home.

Joseph Bologna stars as Nick Foley, the millionaire who adopts the orphans. Also alongside Bologna is Douglas Seale (The Sultan from Disney's Aladdin) as a classy but cool butler. Among the cast of orphans are Tisha Campbell of Little Shop of Horrors, Martin and My Wife and Kids; Heidi Zeigler from Just the 10 of Us, and Drexell's Class; and Kimiko Gelman who recently appeared in The Hunger Games.

This is such a nostalgic trip for those who love the 80's nostalgia and 60's pop. 

You can find the pilot movie, and the rest of the series on DVD. Check it out ;-)

Did you like this article? Check these out:

Jem - Truly Outrageous: 80's Nostalgia - My favorite :-)