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.

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