Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney star as a pair of talented teenagers who stage an orchestra show intending to enter a competition in Chicago. Jimmy Connors (Rooney) and Mary Holden (Garland) stage a musical spectacular worthy of Broadway, manage to scrimp, save and borrow to raise the money for a trip to Chicago ... and overcome the life crises that can only affect adolescents. But on the eve of their trip, with everything ready, one of their orchestra members becomes ill, and the underaged impresarios spend their $200 stake to fly him to a hospital. Yet somehow, with a lot of singing, dancing and luck, everything is going to turn out all right when they Strike Up The Band!