Trip Of Love

[edjames]

Playing off-Broadway at the Stage 42 Theater on 42nd St is this homage to the music of the 60's. I grew up in the 60's and the music of that era is part of the soundtrack of my life.

Alas, this show failed to garner any accolades from me and my friends who attended a last night's performance.

 

An energetic cast of dancers and singers plow through 60's pop hits with jubilant spirit and energy to spare. Alas, it all falls short and it has the making of a high school production that elicits groans and chuckles from the audience. We can only assume that the director is spoofing 1960 pop teen TV shows with this melange of tunes which seem to be no better than a 60's compilation CD you'd find in the 99 cent section of WalMart. There is no thread of plot or story behind any of of the scenes in this show.

Of note are some extravagant costumes and interesting lighting. More notably is the fact that there are some really cute buff chorus boys dancing without shirts in many scenes. There is even a go-go boy dancing in a plastic tube! Alas the plastic is fogged, not clear. One assumes the costumer designer spent so much money on sequins and tassels that little budget was left over for shirts. The "wipe Out" number has them all in short swim suits on surf boards.

Silly and inane scenes set the tune for songs. David Elder, dressed in leather, in many of his songs, fails to elicit any resemblance to Tom Jones sining "It's Not Unusual." I thought his singing fell flat. Laurie Wells appears in many songs singing in white bilious sequined gowns that make her look like a cross between the Good Witch from Wicked and just plain ole Kathleen Turner! Dionne Figgins (the only african American performer in the cast!) resembles Cookie Lyon (Empire) in some outrageous outfits. Her "Nowhere to Run" number is good but more Supremes than Martha and the Vandellas. As I mentioned the cast is not a very diverse group of performers. If you like white boys and gals, then this will please you. I didn't see any Asians or other ethnic performers.

There is a wink and a nod to the TV show Hulabaloo, but alas, it all falls rather flat. The audience was half-empty. So many vacant seats. There was only polite applause from the audience. I don't see a rosy future for this production. I can't imagine the critics being kind.

I left the theater saying "The 60's? Wait a minute, I AM in my 60's!"

 

Ed