Where Are They Now? “St. Elmo’s Fire”

I can hear the music playin'. I can see the banners fly.

In the Summer of 1985, director Joel Schumacher filmed the definitive coming-of-age documentary “St. Elmo’s Fire.” In this ground-breaking work, we were allowed entry into the lives of seven recent Georgetown graduates as they took those first tenuous steps into the world beyond scholastic life and love. It’s been almost 25 years, and we here at Pop Bunker wondered one day, “Whatever happened to…?” So we sent our crack staff out into the light of day to find out.

After they recovered from the temporary blindness, they filed the following reports:

Billy Hicks: After leaving Washington, DC for New York, Billy Hicks hit it big on the local music scene, playing in several bands and working as a touring musician for both Bruce Springsteen and Tina Turner. Billy owns a recording studio in Queens, and sits in as a session player when the mood strikes. Hicks has released 3 self-published albums, and his debut record, titled “Premarital Sax,” made it to #26 on Billboard’s Jazz charts in the spring of ’89. A life-long bachelor, Billy never found anyone he loved more than his music. After being estranged from his daughter Melody, they reconnected after the untimely death of his ex-wife Felicia in 2001 from ovarian cancer. A vocal talent in her own right, Melody is currently recording her first album under her father’s label.

Alec Newbary: After his breakup with Leslie, Alec committed himself full-time to Senator Hodges. A rising star in the GOP, Alec became Chief of Staff to Newt Gingrich and was instrumental in the 1994 mid-term election coup by the Republican Party. Alec himself was elected to congress in 1998, but lost his seat in 2000 amid speculations that he was in poor health. Records show that Alec was suffering from a mental breakdown, claiming that then White House speechwriter Sam Seaborn was really Billy Hicks. Alec attempted to impeach President Bartlett over the matter, until DNA evidence and a joint appearance proved that Seaborn and Hicks were two different people. Alec now works full-time as a Fox News analyst and gonzo right-wing radio host.

Wendy Beamish: Wendy stayed in the DC area until her father died, working tirelessly for the homeless and the poor. Upon inheriting the family fortune, Wendy became an activist and philanthropist, travelling the globe dedicating her time and money to ending poverty and hunger. She has been seen on “Oprah” a number of times, and has been advisor to many world leaders. Never married, Wendy goes to New York each fall to see Billy and Melody, and she’s okay with that.

Leslie Hunter: Leslie got out of DC, and became a partner in an architecture firm in Boston. She maintains contact with Wendy and Jules, but hasn’t spoken to the rest of the group in many years. While working on a project in Chicago in 1992, Leslie met the love of her life at a Cubs game. Leslie and her partner, Samantha Christianson, were legally wed in Boston in June of 2004, and have adopted 2 children through Wendy’s networks.

Kevin Dolenz: Kevin eventually got off the obit desk. His 1997 best-selling novel, “Fluff and Fold” was loosely based on the events just after college graduation, and was optioned as a television series in 2002. Sadly, the pilot tanked for ABC. Kevin also won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting during the Alec Newbary scandal. Kevin still lives in the Georgetown apartment he once shared with Kirby, is twice-divorced, and is working on his new book, “Love Is an Illusion.”

Julianna “Jules” Van Patten: Despite her early career setbacks, Jules knew what she wanted and went after it. She moved out to Los Angeles, found a wealthy, married venture capitalist, bopped him for a couple of years until he got his hands caught in the vault, did a black mink ad, retired in utter disgrace, then wrote a best seller and became a fabulous host on her own talk show. “Jules’ Jewels” is syndicated in 50 major markets. Jules has been branching out into reality television, and was most recently featured in an episode of “Real Housewives of Orange County” wherein she bitch-slapped Vicki and called them all “rank f**king amateurs.” She was not selected to appear on “Celebrity Apprentice” because Donald Trump was scared of her.

Kirby Keager: After graduating from law school at the University of Maryland, Kirby became an entertainment lawyer and agent, representing Alec, Billy, Kevin, and Jules in their respective careers. Kirby never fully got over Dale Biberman, and took to cutting as a way to meet women. Kirby finally settled down with an ER doctor he met while being treated at Columbia Presbyterian. They have 2 kids, a house in Westchester, and Kirby has been incident-free since 1994 although the gash from the fishing trip in 2003 was labeled “suspicious.”

St. Elmo’s Bar: Ironically, the bar was destroyed in an actual fire during the filming of a music video there shortly after the movie was released. Several restaurants and boutique stores have used the Wisconsin Avenue location over the years, and the space is currently home to a patriotically-themed nail salon called “Freedom Tips.”

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