Drama Beat
It’s good to have new West Theatre back at home at the Yates Theatre with a brand new variety show which runs the gamut from hammy hilarity to heartfelt.
The long standing theatre company traipse through “Decades” of music and jokes, which has got to be a challenge finding songs they haven’t performed before.
The show, helmed by director Kathy Zaborsky provides pleasurable nostalgia trip through the 1950s to today, no matter when you were born.
Long time member Erica Hunt and Scott Carpenter introduced the show, joking what about the decades before the 1950s, so quickly sang a medley of hits from thee 1900s ªComing ’Round the Mountain,” a little bit of jazz for the 1910s, Carpenter scatted through the 1920s, they sang some more jazz for the 1930s and recalled “Boogie Boogie Bugle Boy” for the 1940s.
Then they opened with the talented cast of Eric Hunt, Scott Carpenter, Kyle Gruninger, Ashley Thomson, Katie Fellger and new talent Madison Cowan, blast through a stylized cast version of Chuck Berry‘s “Rock and Roll music (If You Want to Dance With Me).
But the ’50s is where the fun really begins as they chronologically touch on each decade.
Drummer Keenan Pezderic got to play DJ from behind his kit, introducing each decade by imitating the DJs, slang and styles of the time.
Erica Hunt and Scott Carpenter introduced new cast member Madison Cowan by saying she grew up in New West Theatre as her mother Vanessa Cowan was choreographing the early shows including this show.
“She was dancing in the wings and knew the dance steps better than we did,” Hunt joked as Madison Cowan lead the cast through Wanda Jackson’s “Let’s have A Party.”
The ’60s were represented by a medley of Beatles hits including “ Can’t By Me Love” ,” Paperback Writer” and “ I Want To Hold Your hand.
Keenan Pezderic represented the hippie side of the late ’60s by belting out “House of the Rising Sun,” which segued into a psychedelic groove as each of the cast members took turns cracking jokes to each other.
Alinafe Lupwayi opened the ’70s part of the set with a stunningly soulful version of Smoky Robinson’s “ Tears of A Clown.”
As a contrast to that, Erica Hunt dressed up as Ziggy Stardust Era David Bowie for a rousing version of “Starman,” as Kyle Gruninger added extra acoustic guitar and harmonies.
A really beautiful moment as they eased their in the way into the ’80s as Katie Fellger introduced Ashley Thomson singing Kate Bush’s ’80s hit “ Running Up a Hill,” which got a second life today as part of the TV show “Stranger Things.”
While Thomson was breaking hearts with her voice, Madison Cowan, touched the soul by performing some really beautiful ballet moves. Erica Hunt and Scott Carpenter reminisced about ’80s advertising jingles then quizzed the crown (which was amazing for a Thursday) about where they worked , promising the cast would write and perform an ’80s style jingle for their business.
There were no takers. As Hunt asked “does anybody work anywhere,” one girl spoke up saying she worked for the Superstore liquor store, and hunt promised they would be back in the next set with the jingle.
