by Shirley Lorraine
60’s Get Revisited in Simi
A welcome trip to nostalgia-ville is in store for all at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Currently running is Beehive, the 60’s Musical, a fast-paced trip back in time to the era of Kennedy, Nixon, Woodstock and the eternal quest for peace.
Five fabulous females lead the audience through the evolution of soul-baring music that epitomized the rise of female consciousness in that era. From searing laments of love to statements of empowerment to high energy, let it all out renditions, the audience thoroughly enjoyed reliving the specialness of the music that guided our formative years.
The ensemble is tight, talented and tender. Each gets numerous opportunities to shine throughout. The cast includes Jodi Marks, Kiana Hamzehi, Amaya J, Caroline Hines, Dallas Dudley and Maddie Worth, whose alternate Annie Claire Hudson performed the day I attended. All performers were top-notch.
The first act features little dialogue as the ladies sing out the anthems of the era. Audience participation is encouraged in some parts, adding to the feeling of total inclusion. The songs became more meaningful to me as they progressed, as I relived my teendom through them.
The second act adds the cherries on top with stand-out show-stopping performances.
Replete with costume changes, wig changes, recognizable choreography of the era and a marvelous live band to assist, the ladies provide a powerhouse of emotion, sentiment and just pure joy in their presentations. At times it seemed that the band was competing with them for volume, but in the end the focus was all on the individual renditions.
Dig out some fringe, bell bottoms, and put flowers in your hair to accentuate the total immersion of the peace-love-statement era.
Running Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 10. www.svcac.org . It’s a great trip. Get your groove on and go.
Every Now and Then Theatre Annual Radio Show Hits the Air!
The multi-award-winning broadcasting company will be presenting “We the People – 1700s Boston” with celebrity guest host Bruce Belland. Involving a large cast of seasoned performers, the presentation will reveal the truth of how the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence really came to be, not how modern historians have reshaped history leaving it full of holes. The 57-minute broadcast is commercial free.
A joint presentation from Every Now and Then Theatre and Conejo Players Theatre, the special streams nationwide, Pacific Times, on Saturday November 2nd at 6 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Sunday November 3rd at 11 a.m.; and Monday November 4th at 7 p.m. Click on “Listen Live” at www.kvta.com. Also steams on www.ktms.com.
Now in their 35th year with 68 awards in their pockets, the all-volunteer Every Now and Then Theatre productions benefit foster children by providing broadcast CD copies to cast, crew and fans in trade for donations to foster children of all ages. Find out more at www.everynowadthentheatre.com. Tune in, learn support and enjoy!
