iggy pop is tonight's "play list." >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, martin bashir, and cynthia mcfadden in new york city, this is "nightline," april 15th, 2010. >> good evening. we begin tonight with a major travel disruption. the worst since the aftermath of september 11th, 2001. but this time around, man is not to blame. no, this time, it is the work of mother nature. a volcano in iceland that has erupted, sending a cloud into the stratosphere. that's left the conditions above a huge section of europe too dangerous to fly through. as nick watt now reports, it remains unclear when the skies will once again be friendly. >> reporter: this spectacular eruption in remote iceland is sending clouds of ash up to seven miles into the atmosphere. and causing global aviation chaos. winds are pushing the cloud of ash southeast towards europe, where panicked officials are grounding planes and closing airports. >> it isn't safe. >> reporter: the norwegian prime minister is stranded in new york. the russian prime minister has canceled a trip. unclear if president obama will make it to poland this weekend. and -- >> upset 5-year-old looking forward to mickey mouse. >> well, obviously we're all annoyed, aren't we? so -- >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of passengers are stranded across europe and beyond. >> don't have hotel accommodation. all the hotels are booked. >> reporter: hundreds of flights from the u.s., canceled. dozens of airports in europe, closed. >> you know, try to make the best out of a bad situation. >> right, we'll go again, you know. we're both retired, you know. >> we have the time. >> reporter: five flights from the u.s. were turned around mid-air, including a continental service from houston that made it as far as canada before it was ordered home. a seven-hour journey to nowhere for the passengers on board. eight european countries, including britain, today, completely closed down their air space. officials here tell us this is unprecedented. british air space wasn't even closed on 9/11. but look at heathrow behind me. the second busiest airport in the world, after at la that, by the way. today, not a plane in the sky. today, we met a man who told us why. >> anybody that goes into volcanic ash is a nut case, yeah. it's -- it's a very dangerous material. >> reporter: on june 24th, 1982, captain eric moody was piloting a flight when he hit an ash cloud. spewing from an indonesian volcano. this is a national geographic reconstruction. >> high above the indian ocean, disaster strikes. >> the engine's on fire! >> more than ten kilometers in the air, all four engines of a british airways 747 stop working. >> mayday. >> brilliant white light hovering around the wings and then what looked like flaming coming out of the engines. thick black smoke, seemingly, billowing into the aircraft. >> your thought was that the plane was on fire. >> oh, yes. >> at 37,000 feet over eindonesa last night, a boeing 747 flew flu a cloud of volcanic ash and all four of its engines stalled. the captain told the 239 passengers calmly, we have a spot of bother. >> mayday. we lost all four engines. >> reporter: the plane lost altitude for 15 minutes, plummeting towards the indian ocean until the crew miraculously managed to restart two of the engines. >> 50 feet. 30 feet. >> we just followed the checklist that we had and we cut persevering. and if we had given up, we wouldn't president here today. >> reporter: why? because volcanic ash contains rock, glass and sand. when an airplane hits an ash cloud, those particles sandblast the windshield, dramatically reducing visibility. also? the ash can get sucked into the engines, melt and shut them down completely. captain moody landed his crippled plate in jakarta. no one was injured. >> i couldn't see out the front. i had to look out a two-inch strip down the side and half the air 28s weren't working properly. but we managed. good team effort that was. >> reporter: one of 123 cases of aircraft flying into ash clouds reported between 1975 and 2008. many pilots have reported damage, none of the planes crashed. but the lessons learned led to today's air space shutdown. look at these pictures shot today in iceland, and you get an idea of the consistency of volcanic ash, and what it might do to an aircraft engine. it's coating parts of iceland, and its inhabitants. today, volcanologists said right now, it's impossible to predict how much longer this icelandic volcano will continue belching ash into the atmosphere. could be days, could be years. and, depending on which way the winds blow, there could be a lot more disruption to come in our skies. i'm nick watt for "nightline" in london. >> extraordinary pictures. a massive travel headache. tonight, we've learned that the air space will remain shut down in the uk until at least tomorrow afternoon. when we come back, a story of inspiration. how one woman gaichl herself to her students completely, and how they gave back the best way they knew how. announcer: naturals from purina cat chow with whole grains, real chicken and salmon and the oodness of leafy greens., you live well. you eat right. help your cat do the same. naturals from purina cat chow. [ male announcer ] every business day, bank of america lends nearly $3 billion dollars to individuals, institutions, schools, organizations and businesses in every corner of the economy. ♪ america. growing stronger. every day. ♪ and you're still fighting to sleep in the middle of the night, why would you go one more round using it ? you don't need a rematch-- but a re-think-- with lunesta. lunesta is different. it keys into receptors that support sleep, setting your sleep process in motion. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. get a free 7-night trial on-line and ask your doctor about switching to lunesta. discover a restful lunesta night. thanks for your help.nesta. to the stage now. the musical is back, and more popular than ever. just look at the smash hit success of fox's "glee." but in high school theater departments across the country, well, the musical never went anywhere. and in one particular high school in texas, they have been doing it bigger and better for years, thanks to one remarkable woman. but when she set out on her most elaborate production, she had no idea a real-life drama was about to unfold. as john donvan reports. ♪ guess this means you're sorry ♪ >> reporter: no doubt you have heard of "glee." the golden globe award win they are year for best tv comedy. it follows a high school teacher who tries to turn a talented group of misfits into stars. ♪ well, this is a story about a real life "glee." but with a twist. ♪ happy happy happy people >> we are the opposite world of "glee." we're the kids that are student council presidents, captain of the football team. the beauty queen, the prom queen. and they're all in theater. >> reporter: heather biddle was one of those kids. class of '95. in 1997, it was jessica simpson's turn, starring as cassie in "a chorus line." >> five, six, seven, eight! >> reporter: so, why are all these performers back on the stage that made them high school stars? >> up, five, six, seven and eight. >> reporter: to join in a celebration, 25 years in the making, for a teacher who changed their lives. >> she made me want to come back and live high school again. >> you may think you're an eight, but i'm thinking you're a ten. >> reporter: lynn zednick shaw created one notch most successful theater programs in the country. >> have fun with these guys, wrap your leg around them. >> reporter: right here at j.j. pearce high school in richardson, texas. when shaw put on a show, she set the bar high. and nobody wanted to be the one to tell her "no." >> i have to stay here, work you and finish a backdrop. ♪ i'm flying >> reporter: peter pan needed to fly, and so he did. jesus needed to rise from the dead in "jesus christ superstar." and when she credited "miss saigon," she needed a show stopper so they built a helicopter and flew it in sideways. and just like in the hit show "glee," she also found kids who needed a place to shine. ♪ life's candy ♪ and the sun's a ball of butter ♪ ♪ don't rain on my parade >> reporter: lauren woods today is nothing like the shy, new girl who transferred to pearce high school back in 2001. ♪ who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade ♪ >> reporter: and then she recruited the cool kids. ♪ i can see that we will share ♪ all that love implies >> reporter: shaw found will hughes on the baseball field. ♪ elizabeth judd was a sophomore on the cheerleading squad. ♪ you can choose whatever >> reporter: and her leading man, john redlinger, who was a track star, scooped up by shaw after he blew out his knew. ♪ so when word went out that lynn shaw wanted to mount the show of her life, more than 80 of her former students said they were in. one by one, alumni put their lives on hold and came from new york to california to take that stage and to be 15 years old once again. one of the first to show up was anne stone. she's now a stay at home mom with two kids. she was ready to reprize her role in "a chorus line," but on one rendition. >> do i have to wear a leosaturday. she said no, so i said okay. >> reporter: but as you will see, this reunion took a very different turn. a final farewell that no one expected. ♪ and none of it seems to matter ♪ >> last summer, lynn shaw got devastating news. she had beaten breast cancer nine years before, but now it was back. in no time, word spread that she had only days to live. former students like john redlinger went to say good-bye. >> she smiled and she said, okay, babies, which is what she always said at the end of every rehearsal. she would say, okay, babies, time to go home. and then she cried. and we all sat there at her bedside and held her hand and it was -- it was a heart-wrenching but truly moving moment. and i will never forget that. >> reporter: with lynn shaw gone, what would happen to the show she had dreamed of directing? the answer was obvious. the show would go on. ♪ on the day of the show, a final dress rehearsal. ♪ >> just so honored we could come back and be on her stage. this is her stage. >> her theater. >> and be able to know that she's watching down and say thank you. >> reporter: there is a full house. and one very empty seat. ♪ >> reporter: it's curtain time. if a song can sum up a life well lived, a life that changed the lives of two generations of kids, then, this song, from the broadway musical "wicked" says it all when it comes to lynn shaw. ♪ because i knew you ♪ because i knew you ♪ i have changed for good >> reporter: i'm john donvan for "nightline." >> what a woman, what a tribute. when we come back, he's called the godfather of punk. iggy pop is the driver, you're the passenger, in tonight's iggy pop is the driver, you're the passenger, in tonight's "play list." moments you'e looking forward to... what if they were .stolen from you? by alzheimer's. this cruel disease costs americans more than $170 billion a year, and could cripple medicare in the near future. the alzheimer's association # is taking action, and has been a part .of every major advancement. but we won't rest unti we have a cure. you have plans... help the alzheimer's association protect them. act now, go to alz.org. anncr vo: ...you can get help gwith aflat tire..... anncr vo: ...find a nearby tow truck or gas station... anncr vo: ...call emergency services... anncr vo: ...collect accident information. anncr vo: or just watch soe fun videos. anncr vo: it's so easy, a caveman can do it. caveman: unbelievable... caveman: where's my coat? it was suede with the fringe. vo: download the glovebox app free at geico.com. real chicken and salmon and the oodness of leafy greens., you live well. you eat right. help your cat do the same. naturals from purina cat chow. ♪ my country ♪ 'tis of thee ♪ sweet land ♪ of liberty ♪ of thee i sing [ laughs ] ♪ oh, land ♪ where my fathers died ♪ land of the pilgrims' pride ♪ from every mountainside ♪ let freedom ring ♪ >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with cynthia mcfadden. >> he's often referred to as the godfather of punk. a role that last month helped propel this artist and his band into the rock and roll hall of fame. now 62, he is rereleasing his 1973 hit album "raw power." an entire generation of musicians including the late kur cobain considered him a key influence. but tonight, he shares the sounds that shaped him. iggy pop is tonight's "play list." ♪ >> you're going to write music, you must start with a vocabul y vocabulary, so, i took mine from blues, jazz, hillbilly music and the english invasion. ♪ fairy tales can come true >> when i was about 5 years old, my father had a large cadillac. he would drive it all weekend for recreation with the family, and i was in the backseat and frank sinatra had a hit, "young at heart," and my father would sing along and he had a baritone and ♪ fairy tales can come true ♪ it can happen to you ♪ if you're young at heart when people would ask me after that, what i wanted to be when i grew up, i said, well, maybe a singer. ♪ be my ♪ be my baby >> "be my baby" by the ronnet ronnettes, i had the single, and i would go into my girlfriend's basement after school and we would make out on the couch and then there was a table with 45 player box across the room and you'd have to play the 45 and then make out for two and a half minutes and i would be remember, jump up and put it on again to keep the mood going. just looking at the ronnettes, i wanted to go wherever they came from. ♪ walking in the sand ♪ walking hand in hand >> my cover band, the iguanas, since iggy, had a professional engagement the summer that we graduated high school at a teen club called the ponytail. i got to play drums behind the shangri-las. mary, the lead singer, had a really beautiful head of hair and it went far past her dare area. and i remember being very happy in the back, you know, playing while she went -- ♪ remember ♪ walking in the sand and it was beautiful. ♪ "rumble" by link ray. sounded like the sound track to a knife fight. and the interesting thing about it was that i heard it in the student union of the university of michigan, but this was low brow, tough, dumb, as a resultal music, and it was mainly just a beat. and a guitar going -- da, da, da. i just remembered listening to it and thinking, it's simple. i could do that. anywhe nirvana was a breath of fresh air. i saw them here in new york city, about 60 people in the room, and i thought, oh, dear, that boy's got the [ bleep ]. i thought "smells like teen spirit" was just a very powerful, powerful track. months later, you know, kurt, kurt, kurt, you know? ♪ well i'm just out of school ♪ and i dance like a fool ♪ and the message i got ♪ got to be a wild ♪ oh yeah ♪ i'm a wild one ♪ [ male announcer ] the cadillac laurel sales event. featuring the all-new srx. ♪ with available glide-up navigation. and ultraview sunroof. ♪ see your cadillac dealer soon. because while there is no expiration date on achievement, on rewarding it, there is. the srx luxury collection.