Who knew it was the movie that was going to live forever?

Nearly 30 years ago, after Broadway's "A Chorus Line" paved the way but before the quick-edit flash of MTV became the rage, the backstage showbiz saga was given an all-singing, all-dancing surge of youthful vigor by "Fame," as directed by British auteur Alan Parker.

Now, the inevitable, glossier remake arrives in theaters today.

Yes, legwarmers and ghetto blasters are ancient artifacts now. Hip-hop has supplanted disco as the urban beat of choice. The institution that inspired the 1980 movie and supplied much of the cast, New York's High School of Performing Arts, has been knocked down and reborn as part of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

But what could easily be declared the original "High School Musical," set in a once-upon-a-time grimy Manhattan teeming with hookers and winos while bursting forth with the exuberance of raw talent, continues to influence a celebrity-obsessed culture that is even more consumed with fame.

The new "Fame," which is directed by Kevin Tancharoen (a former choreographer for Britney Spears) and again follows a class of arts students from auditions to graduation, is just the latest re-invention.

The first "Fame," which earned six Oscar nominations and took two trophies (for theme song and score), was previously spun off into two TV series, a stage musical and a reality show.

"People are just really attracted to and can connect with the idea of young people seeking a goal in life," says actress, choreographer and director Debbie Allen, 59, whose dance instructor Lydia Grant returns as a principal in the new movie. "What is your dream, what does it take to make it happen? What would you do to be successful? The phenomenon of 'Fame' is still true. The world is fascinated by talented people and their struggles for victory."

'FAME' INSPIRED MOVIES, TV

The success of "Fame," which built upon the heat of 1977's "Saturday Night Fever," led to such tune-filled Reagan-era hits as "Flashdance," "Footloose" and "Dirty Dancing." Top-rated TV competitions "American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing With the Stars" also owe a debt to those "Fame" whiz kids.

No one knows the staying power of "Fame" better than Allen, who had but two lines in the first film — the most notable being "Wicked," a perfectly delivered assessment of the provocative moves displayed by Gene Anthony Ray's uninhibited Leroy.

"The movie started everything, but the first TV series turned it into a global phenomenon," she says. "Even today, if I go down the street in Spain, Italy or London, I get stopped by fans. "Fame" helped to create performing arts schools all over the world."

Asher Book, the sweet and sincere singer Marco in the new "Fame," is already on his way to being well-known as part of V Factory, an R&B pop boy band whose first album comes out this fall. The 21-year-old who got his break as Chip the teacup in a touring company of "Beauty and the Beast" did his homework and watched the old "Fame."

"It was a lot edgier than I thought," he says of the R-rated version that touches on abortion and religion, topics that are MIA in the new PG rendition. Still, he says, "It's a great movie and a great message."

One thing he couldn't connect to, however, was the dated characters, who have been replaced by 21st-century counterparts. "We bring a new flavor. Our film is very based in today, what it's like to be in the industry now."

For those worried that this "Fame" is sanitized Disney Channel make-believe, Book assures, "There is the realism of what artists go through and the work ethic involved, what it's like to be rejected and not giving up afterwards."

NOT A HAPPY ENDING FOR ALL

The reality that the original cast faced held varying degrees of success — and tragedy.

Irene, who played the ambitious Coco and went on to win a 1983 Oscar for co-writing the title song from "Flashdance," isn't surprised that "Fame" was redone. "It will be interesting to see how it adapts to this era. I suspect that the PG rating is a hint."

Paul McCrane, whose acting-student Montgom-ery touchingly grappled with his homosexuality, may be the most high-profile grad of the 1980 "Fame." Best known as Dr. Romano on "ER," McCrane says, "A fair number of people, especially gay men, tell me the film and the character were important for them, because at the time, there weren't openly gay characters on screen.

"What I'm surprised about is how many people still recognize me, after 30 years, and with much less hair," he says.

Dance sensation Ray, who starred in the "Fame" TV series for six seasons, struggled with alcohol and drug addictions before dying in 2003 at age 41.

Allen believes that, in an age when fame is bestowed upon those who lose weight or eat spiders on reality shows, it is important to remember what the word meant in 1980.

"Fame is not a one-stop destination," she says, sounding like her TV teacher. "It is a journey. Not one thing, but many things. But the desire is still the same. That has not changed."