By James V. Ruocco
It's time to dig deep, get your groove on, scream and shout, act like an idiot, turn back the clock, relive your past and let your senses run wild.
At Downtown Cabaret Theatre, it's the 1980s all over again staged and performed in glorious, living Technicolor, amped up to full throttle voltage with sights, sounds, lights, explosions and heat designed to recall a wild and wonderful decade steeped in music invention, experimentation and diversity featuring the iconic, chart-busting song hits of Madonna, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Phil Collins, Prince, Michael Jackson, Journey, Huey Lewis & the News and so many others.
As written by Phill Hill, "Decades in Concert: The 1980s" - the third in a series of concert fests celebrating song hits from the past - includes historic media footage from that decade including the AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Challenger disaster and the Ronald Reagan White House years along with glimpses of popular primetime television shows and movies including "Dynasty," "Growing Pains," "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Breakfast Club," "Dirty Dancing," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "The Golden Girls."
"Where's the Beef?" from "Wendy's" lightning-clad 1984 ad campaign featuring Clara Parker uttering that famous catch phrase gets an applause worthy replay as does an inserted tidbit showcasing the release of the Apple III, business-oriented personal computer.
"Decades in Concert: The 1980s" also includes hundreds of hand-picked images of once gorgeous film and television stars from that period who sadly, have lost their looks or not aged well alongside others who have died from cancer, AIDS, drug overdoses or cardiac arrest.
It's a detailed, well-documented process that while important to the concert itself, often plays on for far too long, stops the production dead in its tracks or continually upstages the performances of the engaging, charismatic cast of four throughout the entire two-hour presentation. Less is more is greatly suggested.
Musically, "Decades in Concert: The 1980s" dances about with whirl, twirl, snap, pop and nostalgic explosion. Dozens and dozens of costumes selected, paired and accessorized inventively by costume designer Lesley Neilson-Bowman heighten the concert vibe as does moody, effective, immersive light and sound cues seamlessly orchestrated by Alex Hammerman (lighting designer) and Matt Feeney (sound engineer).
It's fun.
It's catchy.
It's classic.
It also invites audience participation from an overzealous, strange crowd of fifty and sixty somethings, who, despite, no longer being teenagers, jump, hop and skirt around with wild, gleeful, highly questionable abandonment hoping to get zapped into a time warp that has long since passed them by. Some of them should get zapped, which is, by no means a compliment.
As devised by Hill with music direction by Mark Ceppetelli, "Decades in Concert: The 1980s" unfolds with one song hit after another.
They include: "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl," "Footloose," "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," "Purple Rain," "Faith," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "The Look," "In the Air Tonight," "Back in Time," "True Colors" and "Don't Stop Believin.' "
Well-placed, organized and in sync with the production's nostalgic trimmings, every one of the musical numbers is replayed and performed with the skill and showmanship that first lifted them to the top of the "Billboard" charts so many, many years ago.
At Downtown Cabaret Theatre, "Decades in Concert: The 1980s" is being staged and choreographed by Jennifer Kaye, a dedicated and creative storyteller whose enthusiasm for the project is matched by an instinctive mindset of individuality, style and scope that exemplifies the subject matter, its staging, in movement, its song styles and its dances. Here, her energy - both directorially and as choreographer - is put to great use with fast-paced precision and achievement that kicks the production into orbit and lets it fly, sing, dance and resonate. In turn, she creates a show of shows packed with a winning formula, a nostalgic glue and an arena-like energy that is fast, fun and welcoming.
Conjuring up fond memories of a bygone era, vocalist Mikayla Petrilla comes to the Downtown Cabaret Theatre with a distinctive look, a distinctive style and a welcoming confidence that pulls an audience in, the moment she starts to sing. It's a performance of bold colors and kinetic dash and swing, fueled by dynamic vocals and accent which she dispenses with animation, personality, punk defiance and illuminating anthem-like lament.
Robert Peterpaul embraces the concert's 1980s concept with celebratory appeal, personality and a natural joyfulness that is smooth, breezy, trajectory and lush. Vocally, he eases into the production's song fest with lead-in character, freshness and vocal potence, offset by pop, audience-friendly choices that showcase his range, his smoothness and his invigorating musicality.
To the delight of an adoring crowd, Everton Ricketts swings and glides back and forth between a variety of song styles, all of which he performs with soft-soul, roiling funk, pop gig and afternoon party groove. Saige Noelle commands the stage with conscience- raising retreat, lush croon, deep melancholy and rhythmic bluster. The effect is thrilling, invigorating and uplifting, much like "Decades in Concert: The 1980s" itself.
Everyone not only gets a chance to shine, squeeze and sway, but whip up the energy level - on stage and off - with an upbeat step and thrill that fulfills the 1980s musical royalty so lovingly bestowed on all of them.
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