Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, August 20, 2009
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE REVIEW of 8-TRACK
8-TRACK Plays Up Feel-Good Groove
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
“8-TRACK: The Sounds of the 70's,” a feel-good retro romp playing at the CLO Cabaret, celebrates history’s grooviest decade.
Four fun-loving and infectious vocalists lead the love train back in time to a decade known for its bold bell-bottoms, sky-high afros and fab floral prints. Those trippy cultural quirks are lampooned in this lighthearted revue, which chugs like a mini-time machine through the era’s changing trends. Costumes and song sets span from flower-power funky to mellow and folksy, ending with a dynamic spin on the disco craze.
Now more than halfway through its four-month run at the Cabaret in Theater Square, the show cleverly idolizes and satirizes the ‘70s. The performers’ upbeat energy, coupled with the intimate black-box theatre setting, crumbles the classic “fourth wall” that separates actors from the audience. Instead, the show refreshingly invites you to catch boogie fever along with the cast. Spectators shamelessly sing, hum and tap along to familiar tunes such as “Best of My Love” and “Afternoon Delight,” and some can’t resist the urge to get up and join the jive. (As the program notes, aisle-dancing is not only permitted, but encouraged.)
Although the fresh-faced quartet doesn’t look old enough to sing from firsthand experience (two members are college students), it boasts enough talent to compensate for what some might consider a youthful handicap. Standout Teddey Brown, tenor and “8-Track” veteran, is especially charming in his role as the quartet clown. His uninhibited dance grooves and slap-happy facial expressions quickly establish him as an audience favorite.
Also impressive is soprano Tess Soltau, who could pose for a ‘70s Barbie prototype with her long, blond tresses and loose hippie dresses. Her powerful pipes never leave you straining to hear soft notes, and she shows the same confidence in solo numbers as she does during group harmonies. Her emotionally stylized version of “You Light Up My Life” nearly brought the down the house with its show of vocal versatility.
The choreography quickly gained momentum as the first act progressed, becoming more poetic with songs such as “War” and “Mama Told Me Not To Come,” and other times made a delicious tongue-in-cheek parody of Brady Bunch-style stepping. Fluorescent lighting made a fun backdrop for the tunes, morphing from retro mustard hues to gaudy disco glitter.
“8-Track” doesn’t take itself too seriously. Instead of trying to make a solemn tribute to past pop culture, it doesn’t mind mocking more ridiculous aspects of the decade, as it proved in one popular “pet rock” gag. And neither do audiences members, who seem to enjoy every minute of embracing and laughing at their own past.
After the flashy lights and cool costumes consume you in a psychedelic swirl, it’s almost disappointing when the show ends and you’re warped back to present day.
***
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
“8-TRACK: The Sounds of the 70's,” a feel-good retro romp playing at the CLO Cabaret, celebrates history’s grooviest decade.
Four fun-loving and infectious vocalists lead the love train back in time to a decade known for its bold bell-bottoms, sky-high afros and fab floral prints. Those trippy cultural quirks are lampooned in this lighthearted revue, which chugs like a mini-time machine through the era’s changing trends. Costumes and song sets span from flower-power funky to mellow and folksy, ending with a dynamic spin on the disco craze.
Now more than halfway through its four-month run at the Cabaret in Theater Square, the show cleverly idolizes and satirizes the ‘70s. The performers’ upbeat energy, coupled with the intimate black-box theatre setting, crumbles the classic “fourth wall” that separates actors from the audience. Instead, the show refreshingly invites you to catch boogie fever along with the cast. Spectators shamelessly sing, hum and tap along to familiar tunes such as “Best of My Love” and “Afternoon Delight,” and some can’t resist the urge to get up and join the jive. (As the program notes, aisle-dancing is not only permitted, but encouraged.)
Although the fresh-faced quartet doesn’t look old enough to sing from firsthand experience (two members are college students), it boasts enough talent to compensate for what some might consider a youthful handicap. Standout Teddey Brown, tenor and “8-Track” veteran, is especially charming in his role as the quartet clown. His uninhibited dance grooves and slap-happy facial expressions quickly establish him as an audience favorite.
Also impressive is soprano Tess Soltau, who could pose for a ‘70s Barbie prototype with her long, blond tresses and loose hippie dresses. Her powerful pipes never leave you straining to hear soft notes, and she shows the same confidence in solo numbers as she does during group harmonies. Her emotionally stylized version of “You Light Up My Life” nearly brought the down the house with its show of vocal versatility.
The choreography quickly gained momentum as the first act progressed, becoming more poetic with songs such as “War” and “Mama Told Me Not To Come,” and other times made a delicious tongue-in-cheek parody of Brady Bunch-style stepping. Fluorescent lighting made a fun backdrop for the tunes, morphing from retro mustard hues to gaudy disco glitter.
“8-Track” doesn’t take itself too seriously. Instead of trying to make a solemn tribute to past pop culture, it doesn’t mind mocking more ridiculous aspects of the decade, as it proved in one popular “pet rock” gag. And neither do audiences members, who seem to enjoy every minute of embracing and laughing at their own past.
After the flashy lights and cool costumes consume you in a psychedelic swirl, it’s almost disappointing when the show ends and you’re warped back to present day.
***
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
8-TRACK 8 track eight track
Go to 8-Track.org to check out the hit show 8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's!
8-TRACK A HIT IN PITTSBURGH!
8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's plays through Sept 27th in Pittsburgh. Produced and presented by THE PITTSBURGH CLO in the Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Pittsburgh critics rave:
"A feel-good retro romp! Catch boogie fever and get up and join the jive!"
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"Do the hustle and get your ya-yas out! Solid and powerful...a hoot!"
Pittsburgh Travel Examiner
"">8-TRACK brings back loads of memories. The perfect excuse for a reunion with friends and school mates who survived the decade together."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh critics rave:
"A feel-good retro romp! Catch boogie fever and get up and join the jive!"
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"Do the hustle and get your ya-yas out! Solid and powerful...a hoot!"
Pittsburgh Travel Examiner
"">8-TRACK brings back loads of memories. The perfect excuse for a reunion with friends and school mates who survived the decade together."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Thursday, October 9, 2008
8-TRACK B-ROLL VIDEO
To see 8-Track B-Roll Video go to 8-Track.org and click on the TV screen on the home page.
Friday, May 9, 2008
8-TRACK IS LETTER-PERFECT!
CONNECTICUT POST
By Irene Backalenick
May 9, 2008
Even for theatergoers who do not recall the music of the ‘70s, were never fans of the Bee Gees or the Doobie Brothers, the excellent show currently at Downtown Cabaret is a wildly-exciting revelation. For those who do recall that raucous era, “8-Track, the Sounds of the 70’s” is a satisfying trip to Nostalgialand. And this reviewer, for one, never a devotee of musical revues, is now a believer. Within the format of the musical revue (a collection of songs, with no story line or strong theme), the show is letter-perfect.
All of this is achieved with a minimum of set at the Cabaret, proving the oft-quoted line that good theater requires only a bare stage, a performer, and his material.
Director/conceiver Rick Seeber has put together a range of ‘70s tunes, which include such highlights as “I Want You Back,” “American Pie,” “I Am Woman,” “You Light Up My Life,” “One Toke Over the Line,” and “Car Wash.” The range of songs and musical styles spell out the elements which defined the era—freedom to experiment in all ways, a rejection of the old social values, a yearning for world peace, and a new age spiritualism.
Seeber has recruited a highly professional cast of four to give life to the show. Teddey Brown, Denise Estrada, Nik Rocklin, and Liana Young are four hotties who infuse a sexually-charged exhilaration to every piece. (Though Estrada is a newcomer to the show, she has adapted to her fellow performers, all veteran 8-trackers who have toured the country.) Each performer puts his own stamp of personality on the work, as they move through the repertoire of solos, duets, trios, and full company numbers. And they are well-equipped to handle Tonya Phillips Staples’ fluid, constantly-changing choreography.
Watching the show from the balcony, one sees the audience involvement, its strong connection with the performers and the music. The house is rocking. “8-Track” is not only a musical revue, but something akin to a revival meeting, a religious happening.
By Irene Backalenick
May 9, 2008
Even for theatergoers who do not recall the music of the ‘70s, were never fans of the Bee Gees or the Doobie Brothers, the excellent show currently at Downtown Cabaret is a wildly-exciting revelation. For those who do recall that raucous era, “8-Track, the Sounds of the 70’s” is a satisfying trip to Nostalgialand. And this reviewer, for one, never a devotee of musical revues, is now a believer. Within the format of the musical revue (a collection of songs, with no story line or strong theme), the show is letter-perfect.
All of this is achieved with a minimum of set at the Cabaret, proving the oft-quoted line that good theater requires only a bare stage, a performer, and his material.
Director/conceiver Rick Seeber has put together a range of ‘70s tunes, which include such highlights as “I Want You Back,” “American Pie,” “I Am Woman,” “You Light Up My Life,” “One Toke Over the Line,” and “Car Wash.” The range of songs and musical styles spell out the elements which defined the era—freedom to experiment in all ways, a rejection of the old social values, a yearning for world peace, and a new age spiritualism.
Seeber has recruited a highly professional cast of four to give life to the show. Teddey Brown, Denise Estrada, Nik Rocklin, and Liana Young are four hotties who infuse a sexually-charged exhilaration to every piece. (Though Estrada is a newcomer to the show, she has adapted to her fellow performers, all veteran 8-trackers who have toured the country.) Each performer puts his own stamp of personality on the work, as they move through the repertoire of solos, duets, trios, and full company numbers. And they are well-equipped to handle Tonya Phillips Staples’ fluid, constantly-changing choreography.
Watching the show from the balcony, one sees the audience involvement, its strong connection with the performers and the music. The house is rocking. “8-Track” is not only a musical revue, but something akin to a revival meeting, a religious happening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)