The St. Joe Variety Show has been performed for 29 consecutive years, and the 2005 offering will reflect that extensive heritage.

"Sentimental Journey" will be a retrospective of 50 years of entertainment, a whirlwind time-hopping tour with all the fun and entertainment that variety show fans have come to expect.

"Sentimental Journey" is aptly named, as it follows an elderly couple as they recall their days at St. Joseph High School, and their past variety show performances.

Through the couple's reminiscing, audiences will be treated to hits from the 1950s and 1960s such as "Under the Boardwalk" and "These Boots Are Made for Walking." Modern times will also be represented, with numbers from popular artists like Allison Krauss.

Maria Whaley, religion teacher and variety show supervisor, said the contrast between the ages will also be shown in a number which brings a Moulin Rouge-style can-can into the modern day.

The student's have toiled for six weeks nailing dance steps and finding that perfect pitch, but that doesn't mean the show's all singing and dancing. Some students have been working equally hard on the scenes that will frame the tunes.

A creative writing class at St. Joe wrote the script for the evening's entertainment, which student Tommy Gillespie said was his favorite part of the process.

"I'm in the creative writing class and we've been organizing some of the skits," Gillespie said. "That's really been the most gratifying part of the experience for me. We've been able to listen to the students' ideas and come up with something that everybody is happy with."

Whaley said that selecting a show that spans several decades of music allows the show to appeal to most every age group.

"It's light-hearted, entertaining and family-oriented," Whaley said. "It's very kid-friendly, and I think the young people will understand it, and older people will tooŠand everyone in between. It's not exclusive to any one generation."

No matter how much Whaley insists that this audience will enjoy the program, it's hard to imagine they'll have more fun than the St. Joe students who put it together.

"It's so much fun, it's just great," said sophomore Sophie Schwab, "It's great interacting with all the students, and we just have a blast."

The premiere will take place tonight at 8 at St. Joe, with a ticket price of $5 for adults and $3 for children. Tomorrow, guests will be treated to a dinner show that begins at 6 p.m. featuring pollo e pomodora, an Italian chicken dish provided by Rocco's. Adults will be charged $13.50 for dinner and a show, with a price of $8 for children. To RSVP, call 532-0485.