Want to learn all about or simply refresh your memory of what life was like in the 1970s? No need to consult a mountain of scholarly books or watch multiple episodes of the History Channel. Everything you need to know is in the toe-tapping, head-bobbing, shake-your-booty musical revue “8-Track: The Sounds of the ‘70s,” at New Village Arts Theatre.
The show’s creators, Rick Seeber and Michael Gribbin, have assembled a playlist sampling of 50 songs through which the decade’s story unfolds through lyrics of optimism, empowerment, war and peace, how to party, road trips and disco.
Four singers collectively, in duets and as soloists deliver classic songs you’ll never forget. There are also a few ditties you’ll wish you could forget. But, hey, the 1970s wouldn’t have been the same without them.
Melissa Fernandes shines singing “I Am Woman,” the feminist anthem made famous by Helen Reddy.
Juanita Harris’ pipes and resplendent stage presence do justice to Aretha Franklin’s “Till You Come Back to Me.”
With a singing range from baritone to falsetto, Kingsley Jackson aces “War,” “What’s Going On” and “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.”
The ballad “Alone Again (Naturally)” relays the disconnect felt by many during the era. Kyros Jijia Shen’s underscores this melancholy by reaching into a dusty 1970s memory box and pulling out a Pet Rock.
Minimalist scenic design by Zach Elliot features vibrant colors and graphic elements evocative of pop artist Peter Max. The show gets off to a somewhat slow start, however, with the singers statically engaged with standing mics as the recorded music at times overwhelms the vocalists. The pace picks up and the show becomes more engaging when skits are delivered along with the tunes. Putting the pedal to the metal is Jackson as a long-haul truck driver staying a step ahead of the law via RB-radio banter in “Convoy.” Jackson picks up hitchhiker Shen whose appearance on the road is explained with “50 Way to Leave Your Lover.”
Director Gerilyn Brault does double duty as sound designer with an evocative assortment of audio clips from the era – “Laugh-In,” “The Dating Game,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” comics Cheech and Chong (“Up in Smoke”) and news broadcaster Walter Cronkite, among others – facilitating skit and costume changes. In the wardrobe department, costume designer Janet Pitcher has conjured a fashion runway of tie-dye, loud paisley, leather fringe, bellbottoms, sparkling jumpsuits, tight pants with open-front shirts, gold chains, puka-shell necklaces, headbands, Birkenstock sandals and platform shoes. Long hair, big hair, afro hair and mullets are the work of wig designer Kevane La’Marr Coleman. The music director is E.Y. Washington, choreography by Joy Newbegin and lighting design by Chris Renda.
By Lynne Friedmann
