Somewhere between the star basketball player becoming a cardiologist, the class entertainer becoming a production company owner, and the law club founder becoming -- you guessed it -- an attorney, the students of the Miami Beach High School's Class of 1958 grew up.

Their small beach town developed into an urban tourist attraction, high school graduates became grandparents -- and for many, the time has flown by.

But at their recent class reunion, held this month at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa on Collins Avenue, the classmates talked of their high school days as if no time at all had passed, even though graduation was a half century ago.

''We see each other and nothing has changed,'' said alumnus Carole Taran-Lee, a high school thespian and entertainer who put herself through the University of Miami by singing and shaking maracas in front of Latin bands at upscale hotels along the beach. ``We have chemistry.''

Of the almost 450 students who graduated in 1958, more than 200 returned for the reunion. While some traveled just a few miles from their home to the resort, others came from as far away as California and Oregon -- bringing along spouses, and of course, plenty of memories.

The reunion weekend kicked off Oct. 31, with a '50s-themed barbecue, complete with a live band featuring the biggest hits from their high school years.

Some classmates had not attended any reunions in the five decades since graduation -- making for some interesting guesswork.

''The fun was trying to recognize them after 50 years,'' Hal Glassman, who helped organize the reunion, wrote in an e-mail after the weekend's events. ``They didn't stay mysterious for long.''

Glassman currently lives in Virginia with his wife, Patti -- a Beach High alum from a later class.

Quite a bit has changed in their hometown -- and their high school. While the enrollment at Miami Beach High has stayed about the same -- the current student body numbers fewer than 2,000 -- the campus where the former classmates studied has moved.

The new version of Miami Beach High is on Prairie Avenue.

As part of the reunion weekend, graduates were given a bus tour of the area, visiting the school's previous location on 14th Street in South Beach.

''There is a lot of diversity now that we didn't have back then,'' said Stephen Hertz, founder of the Beach High law club, who has a practice on Miami Beach.

While the class of 1958 was predominantly Jewish, Miami Beach High has a student body that represents more than 65 countries.

''It was a small-town life back then,'' said Dr. Arthur Lane, a graduate who became an endodontist. ``Everyone knew everybody else.''

The small-town feel helped forge strong bonds, said Dr. Richard Berger -- a one-time basketball star who became a cardiologist.

''We came together from families that were similar in many ways,'' said Berger, who treats patients throughout Miami-Dade. ``We were pushed together, we bonded with each other.''

Berger continues to keep in touch with many of his classmates -- often giving them medical advice.

Another change: The 1958 graduates were one of the last classes to call themselves the Typhoons, boasting school colors of black and gold. Beach High teams are now known as the Hi-Tides and wear scarlet and silver uniforms.

The Class of '58 has named a community service award after a former star Typhoon: Louie Hayes, who played football and basketball and is in the school's hall of fame. Hayes' son, Judd, is the football coach at the school. The elder Hayes also volunteers at the school, helping student-athletes.

As the one-time classmates pored over old yearbooks, danced to oldies and shared favorite memories, Taran-Lee noted that even though times have changed, the former high school buddies still look out for one another -- just as they did in the old days.

''We always knew that if we took the leap out and there was a problem, there would be someone there to catch us,'' she said.

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