Kelly Packard, Jennie Kwan and other former teen actors look back on the '90s and their rivalry with other sitcom stars before revealing details about their California Dreams concert in NYC with the cast next month.

You're not imagining it.

Next month the cast of California Dreams, a '90s teen show, will gather in NYC for a reunion concert. And, if stars Jennie and Kelly Packard get their way, this won't just be an "one-night only" event.

California Dreams aired from 1992 to 1994 on NBC, along with sitcoms such as Saved By the Bell Hung Time, and The City Guys. The kids in this show were not only teenagers, but they also formed a band.

is doing it again, almost 30 years after the show was cancelled.

While some members of the cast have performed at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and a pop-up event in LA in 2019, the October 13th event at Stitch Bar and Blues will be the first ever that all the show's rotating cast will rock out.

Michael Cade and Packard, as well as Brentley Gore and Aaron Jackson, William James Jones and Heidi Saban, will also be present at the event.

Kelly told TooFab that the idea for the reunion show began around 10 years ago when she and Jennie went to a concert together of a popular girl group and thought "You know, we could do it." Packard described their 2019 pop up as a "huge success," and it got them thinking of doing more "downthe road."

Kwan said that they had planned to go on a mini-tour after their Los Angeles show, but it "just wasn't the right time" -- citing Covid among the factors which put these plans to a stop. They decided to give it another shot and scheduled an event for New York Comic-Con.

The fact that every cast member is coming still amazes me. Packard said, "I haven't seen Diana in a while, so I'm just as excited as the fans for this moment." Jennie, meanwhile, said that she gets chills just thinking about it. The fact that all the cast members are here is kind of crazy," said Kwan. He believes the concert is the perfect evening event for Comic-Con goers looking for something fun to do.

She continued, "It will be a crazy and fun time. We're ready for it."

Kwan responded, "Who would like to bring us out?" When asked whether more shows or a mini-tour were in their future, Kwan said, "Who want to bring us out?" We are ready to be sponsored. Let's do it! You never know, we'll just see. Kelly added: "I believe we are all on board, because it is so much fun and that we enjoy being with each other."

The two could not discuss specifics of their '90s show in our conversation due to the ongoing SAGAFTRA strike. However, they did reflect on how it felt for them as young adults at that time to be in front of the camera.

"I wasn't really able to land anything major until dreams. I was 16, 17 and it was slow going as far as my rise to fame. Packard recalled that the fans were fun and young, so there was nothing crazy. We were never unable to go outside. I have never experienced that and continue to do so today.

It was fun to be chased from the malls of New Jersey when we filmed the show. "That doesn't happen anymore," she said. I love to talk to fans because they're so nice and it brings me back in time, just as it does for them. I love those conversations more now than I used to.

Both stars were surprised by how much nostalgia still exists for their projects from the '90s and humbled to see what this love means for their careers. Kwan, the voice of Suki in Avatar The Last Airbender, shared a poignant experience from a convention.

I'll be going right now for my animation job and it's funny, because the kids sometimes come up to me and say 'I love Avatar'. My mom loves California Dreams!' "I'm like 'Oh my god, this is crazy'," she said. "At first, I thought 'Oh, my God, I'm old', and then, they were like, You've worked in this industry for a long time. You're lucky.'

Packard stated that her children "love to watch the show" and "know all the episodes better than me." Packard said that her kids "love watching the show" now and "know the episodes better than I do."

Kwan believes that there weren't many young teenage shows on television when their show was broadcast.

She explained: "Back then, the fan base had something that they could really connect with, something that made them feel a connection, and I believe this is what makes it memorable." "Because it was a rare show, people really liked that."

Kwan also said that if any rivalries existed with the actors of the other shows, it was all done in good humor.

"I believe that there is always healthy rivalry inside. It was sometimes fun, because we had to do promotions for NBC, and we got to cross over. She recalled, "There were times when we -- and I am not very athletic -- had to perform on a few game shows. "Kelly was really good. This healthy rivalry is evident. "It was all fun. We were all young, and it's interesting to revisit those times."

Packard, Kwan, and the rest are only re-visiting their sheet music as they prepare for the upcoming concert. Jennie, when asked if they were "rusty," said, "Not Kelly or I, we are good. We can bounce back in it!"

She continued by saying that she was "kind of joking."

Add a slightly honest Packard: I need to practice.

You can find more information about the concert and the tickets here.

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Title: California Dreams Stars Tease Reunion Concert, Possible Tour: 'It's Kind of Insane' (Exclusive)
Sourced From: www.toofab.com/2023/09/20/california-dreams-kelly-packard-jennie-kwan/
Published Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:16:55 +0000

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