Happy times for those who will harken back to their youth when AM radio played the Top 40 hits of the 1960’s. The Creative Cauldron’s Shout! The Mod Musical will be comfort food for those who know each lyric and opening musical note from a time when the songs were fresh and new; song by female singers hoping to make their way onto American Bandstand.

All and all, Shout! The Mod Musical is an earnest production of a musical that will gladden the hearts of Baby Boomers who know the show’s playlist of about 20 hit songs selected by the show’s co-creators Phillip George and David Lowenstein. I use playlist as a term rather than score; this is jukebox theater of a specific moment in time and taste. It is from a non-FM radio-view.

Cast of Shout! The Mod Musical. From left: Yellow Girl (Aimee Barnes), Green Girl (Iyona Blake), Red Girl (Melissa Berkowitz), Blue Girl (Sarah Anne Sillers), and Orange Girl (Ashleigh King).

The Creative Cauldron’s production is the Washington area professional theater company premiere of the Shout! The Mod Musical. It was produced Off-Broadway in 2006.

Shout! The Mod Musical is set in London between 1962-1970. It follows the lives of five women in age from the early 20’s (The Red Girl), to the 30’s and perhaps a bit beyond (Green, Blue, Yellow and Orange girls). Yes, the female characters are identified as “girls” and by the color of what they wear. They are not given first names. No first names is rather fitting as the characters are one-dimensionally drawn, with little blood or soul.

The book is a shaky connection of dialogue and scenes that connect songs with the fictional characters. The book is a slim wisp of eye-rolling jokes, as well as some reminiscences about societal changes brought with the Pill and relationships with men. A clever touch is a regular focus on each of the character’s attachment to a self-help column written by “Gwendolyn Holmes ” for “Shout,” a slick and glossy London-based magazine. The matronly Holmes character provides antiquated guidance to those who seek out her guidance. The advice generally involves wearing a better shade of lipstick, trying a new hairdo or suggesting that while the fault for the boredom in a relationship may be with the man, it is the woman’s place to make things right.

The Yellow Girl (Aimee Barnes) is the American character. She has travelled to London to have a look at Paul McCartney. The Orange Girl (Ashleigh King) is married, but suspects her husband may be cheating. The Blue woman (Sarah Anne Sillers) is wealthy and vain, but has a deep secret about her sexuality. The Green Girl (Iyona Blake) gives off a looser vibe about her relationships with men. The Red Girl (Melissa Berkowitz) is the youngest; she is insecure with her appearance with hopes the man of her dreams will come along. The advice columnist, Gwendolyn Holmes, is played by a haughty, high-pitched, badly coiffed Robert Aubrey Davis. He has been taped and is seen on regular occasions on a video monitor in grainy black and white.

Singing is the high-point of the production. The songs include the likes of “Son of a Preacher Man,” “You Don’t have to Say You Love Me,” “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” “Downtown” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” as well as “To Sir with Love” and others. A standout is an ensemble rendition of a very cute “Coldfinger” based on the famous James Bond movie song “Goldfinger.” Two songs caught the audience’s interest and lifted them up; they began to mouth the words and then sang with those on stage. The songs were “Those Were the Days” and the finale of the evening, “Shout!” The procession of musical numbers were written by pop icons like Tony Hatch, Carol King and Bernie Goffin, as well as Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The strongest singers in the production are Blake and King. They have powerful voices and provide plenty of theatrical nuance to go along with their voice work and dancing skills. When all five actor-singers get together as a “girl” group or in pairs of back-up singers, the harmonies are simply top-notch.

The intermission free 75 minutes is directed by Matt Connor. Connor has directed a number of Creative Cauldron productions. He has also performed and composed at such DC area venues such as Signature Theater. The production was choreographed by Stephen Gregory Smith. He has the cast perform period dances such hip swaying, hands in the air numbers as the Swim, Pony, and others with enjoyable synchronized results.

The music director and keyboardist is Mark Deffenbaugh. The costumes by Margie Gervis are spot-on reminders of those changing times. Each of the five characters has three different outfits to represent various styles of the 1960’s. Visually the attire moves from left-over later 1950’s wear, to mid-60’s Mary Quant inspired mini-skirted dresses to a final late 60’s urban and hippie look. The hair styles and wigs are well-accomplished moving from flips, to long straight hair to Afros.

Shout! The Mod Musical will be most enjoyed by those who were living at the time. As Creative Cauldron Founder and Producing Director wrote in the program, “The performance you are witnessing is a celebration of music from the swinging 60’s and we suspect that many of you will find yourselves singing along to these classic pop tunes.”

At the performance your reviewer attended, one could feel audience members begin to catch the memory train. As the show began to wrap up, the infectious 1959 rhythm and blues hit “Shout” began. It quickly became a sing and clap-along finale. The crowd was standing on its collective feet, transported and transfixed with big smiles.

Cast

• Yellow Girl: Aimee Barnes
• Green Girl: Iyona Blake
• Red Girl: Melissa Berkowitz
• Blue Girl: Sarah Anne Sillers
• Orange Girl: Ashleigh King
• Gwendolyn Holmes: Robert Aubry Davis

Artistic and Design Team

• Director/Composer: Matt Connor
• Choreography: Stephen Gregory Smith
• Music Director/Keyboardist: Mark Deffenbaugh
• Scenic and Costume Designer: Margie Jervis
• Lighting Designer: Joey Wallen
• Sound Technician: Teddy Wiant

Disclaimer: Creative Cauldron provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Spotlight on Creative Cauldron’s 2014 Passport to the World Festival

Creative Cauldron is a not-for-profit arts organization providing opportunities for learning and participation in the performing and visual arts for children and adults. Creative Cauldron also offers performances by professional artists all year round at its artistic home and flexible arts venue, the ArtSpace site in Falls Church, Virginia.

For the past several years, the Creative Cauldron has produced the multi-week, multi-performance Passport to the World Festival. The Festival showcases the diversity and vibrancy of performing artists of Northern Virginia who represent many different cultures. It’s an opportunity to “explore the world.”

This year’s edition carries on the tradition. In recent interviews, your writer delved into the 2014 Passport to the World series to be held January 18 to February 28, 2014.

Laura Connors Hull (Creative Cauldron Producing Director/Founder)

Q. Why does the Creative Cauldron produce the annual Passport to the World festival?

Creative Cauldron produces the annual Passport to the World Festival as a celebration of the diversity that enriches our northern Virginia community. Music, dance and story are universal tools of communication, but they are nuanced by each culture in fascinating ways. While the series offers delightful entertainment, it also provides a wonderful educational opportunity for our patrons.

Q. What has been the audience reaction to the Passport Festival series?

Audiences have really enjoyed the experience of the past festivals…we’ve had many couples and families use our “passport” option that allows them to see many different performances throughout the series at a reduced rate. There have been some absolutely spellbinding performances over the years. What’s particularly exciting is the cross-cultural exchange that happens when patrons from different heritages and ethnic backgrounds come together to experience the music and dance of a particular culture.

Q. What has been the performers’ reaction to participating in the Passport to the World Festivals?

Our performers in the series tell us they are thrilled to be able to share their passion for their music or dance with a wider audience. Many of them have limited opportunities to perform throughout the year. They also appreciate the intimate setting that we provide at the cauldron (only 85 seats) that really makes it easy to feel connected to an audience.

Q. Please tell me about the 2014 Festival Open House.

Thanks to a grant from the Little City Catch Foundation, this year we are kicking off the festival with a two-day open house on January 18th and 19th. The open house will feature free workshops, demonstrations and free performances of our family-friendly “World of Stories” shows: “Tales from West Africa” and “Tales from Peru.” The days will be filled with chances to work with both Creative Cauldron teaching artists as well as our visiting Passport artists, and community partners. Patrons can participate in a puppet-making demonstration or make a mural with scenic designer Margie Jervis, take in a Musical Theater Composing class with Matt Conner, an African drumming workshop with Kofi Denis, a hula dance workshop with Vivian Takafuji and/or a demonstration of “The Scissors Dance”, an ancient Andean ritual dance that looks a bit like break dancing. On Sunday afternoon, The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will lead guided tours of the African American History of Falls Church, and local photographers from Falls Church Arts will talk about their work in an exhibit called “Focus.”

Q. Please tell me a bit about this year’s returning performers.

Many of the groups that are featured in our 2014 Passport series are returning from previous years. We kick off the series again this year with Veronneau, an amazing acoustic Latin Jazz and Gypsy swing group that has earned rave reviews and captivates audiences with their special blend of samba, bossa nova and world jazz. On a similar vein, Kamel Zennia provides an intoxicating evening of music from his native Algeria. Kamel’s music is so unique. It’s a fusion of folk/rock, rhumba flamenca, and what he refers to as “desert blues.” This is an evening that always has people up dancing, almost as if it were through some magical intervention. Hui O Ka Pua ‘Ilima provides us with a treasure of music and dance from Hawaii every year and Moch Pryderi provides a Celtic feast on traditional instruments. These are really very talented artists, with skills honed over many years of studying and performing and we are proud to host them for this festival.

Q. What do you want audiences to come away with after attending a performance of the 2014 Passport to the World Festival?

It is our hope that the Passport to the World Festival leaves people with a desire to learn more about the world around them, to explore music and cultural traditions that they are less familiar with and come to appreciate the diverse cultural resources that we have right here in our community.

Liz Milner and Marty Summerour, Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW)

Q. Please tell me a bit about the Folklore Society and its mission?

Founded in 1964, FSGW is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Society seeks to further the understanding, investigation, appreciation, and performance of the traditional folk music and folklore of the American people. You can learn more about FSGW by visiting our web site.

Q. Why is folklore important to our culture understanding?

Folklore enhances our understanding of what it means to be human. People of widely different cultures all face many similar challenges: feeding themselves, nurturing loved ones and marking the passage of the seasons and of their lives. Folklore gives us a window onto how people of varying cultures adapt to these challenges.

Q. Why did the Folklore Society partner with the Creative Cauldron for the 2014 Passport to the World?

The Folklore Society constantly seeks new partners to broaden its reach in the Metro DC area. We would like to have a stronger presence in Northern Virginia. Creative Cauldron, with its convenient location, emphasis on high-quality programming from a wide range of cultures and its intimate performance space seems like an ideal partner.

Q. Please tell me a bit about the groups: Washington Koho Toto Society, Ocean Celtic, Toss the Feathers and Shenandoah Run.

Ocean Celtic fuses traditional Celtic (Irish and Scottish) music with modern instruments and rhythms. Founder/Bandleader Jennifer Cutting describes Ocean as “Music for ancient moderns…where ancient ballads meet cutting-edge electronics.” Cutting has created arrangements with sweeping orchestral sounds, shimmering ethereal electronics, authentic traditional instruments and a hard-hitting rhythm section. Her original songs stress the continuity between traditional and contemporary life.

Washington Toho Koto Society is a nonprofit group of koto players and friends, primarily in the metropolitan Washington area, founded in 1971 by Kyoko Okamoto to promote the understanding and appreciation of Japanese koto music and to enhance the friendship between Japan and the United States. The society participates in many national and community events, including the Lantern Lighting Ceremony which traditionally opens The National Cherry Blossom Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Ensemble Toss the Feathers is a duo that consists of Tina Chancey, Arlington, Virginia musician, and Valerie Loomer, a native of France. They play Irish music from the 17th and 18th centuries on instruments the composers knew: renaissance fiddle, viol, theorbo, early guitar and cittern. This fusion of roots music and early instruments is a passport back to the birthplace of Irish music.

Shenandoah Run is a nine-member ensemble of seasoned performers who came together a few years ago to play folk music. Bringing with them individual experiences in folk, bluegrass, stage and other American world roots musics; they present classic and contemporary “folk music with a kick” as they describe their sound. They recall the high energy of the “60’s folk” with lush vocal harmonies and skillful and exciting instrumental backing.

Q. What would you like audiences to come away with after attending a performance of the 2014 Passport to the World Festival?

A greater appreciation of humanity’s vast creativity and the resilience of the human spirit. We’d also like for them to have an unforgettably fun time!

Photo Gallery

Moch Pryd	Veronneau
Margie Jervis and Puppet	Kamel Zennia
Valerie Loomer, Ensemble Toss the Feathers	Tina Chancey, Ensemble Toss the Feathers
Ta’ata Roiroi	Washington Toho Koto Society

Photos provided by Creative Cauldron

Like the image of snow falling on cedars, there is a musically ephemeral “chapbook” production of Marry Me A Little; with songs by Stephen Sondheim ready for a rare appearance. The production is mostly built upon songs that Sondheim wrote but did not make the final cuts of his musicals. What could have been just another cabaret review of Sondheim works, words and melodies, is an evening with texture and a believable story arc, under the direction of Matt Conner.

There is no dialogue in the little over one-hour, no intermission production. The audience follows the twists and turns of the young who crave love, find love and then all too sadly lose love through the “on-the-mark” voices of local veteran Dani Stoller and newcomer to the DC area, Lou Steele and the wonderfully soft-pedaled foot and nimble fingers of pianist Amy Conley.

For Sondheim aficionados and those who have an interest in musical theater, the production is like a live version of Sondheim’s recent memoirs, “Finishing the Hat” and “Look, I Made a Hat.” In the two books, Sondheim provided not only background about his published songs and scores , but also songs that were cut and why. In the show, Marry Me a Little as conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene in 1980, we get to hear about a dozen of the cut songs.

The show is staged in a pre-Facebook time by Conner; a time unlike the current world of social media, instantaneous connections, and lots of gadgets. It was a time, now distant, when unattached people had fewer diversions and distractions on a dateless Saturday night. As one of the Sondheim lyrics goes, it was a time when Saturday night could mean staying home to read the Sunday NY Times.

Conner is a composer in his own right, with his musicals performed at Arlington’s Signature including: Nevermore, The Hollow, Partial Eclipse and soon Crossing. He has previously directed Creative Cauldron’s productions of Nevermore (2011) and Women of the Blues (2012).

Director Conner has his two person cast orbit around each other effectively adding some visual action to the production. He has them deliver often in parallel responding duets. Stoller is effective at providing acting chops to her performance showing off emotional reactions to situations depicted by the song lyrics. Steele is a more reserved presence.

First, what greets the audience is a graphic rendition of apartment living by Margie Jervis accomplished with squares of decorative carpet, pieces of furniture, clothing strewn about, several doors and a piano. The intricacy of the Sondheim’s score drips through and over the artifacts thanks to the mood setting lighting of Ken Willis. With the intimacy of the space, the audience becomes like a viewer using Skype; things are that close.

While the song Marry Me A Little is widely known, most of the other fifteen songs are rarer except to one deeply immersed in Sondheim.

The score of the production includes, in order, such songs as: “Saturday Night” (from Saturday Night), “Two Fairy Tales” (cut from A Little Night Music), “Can That Boy Foxtrot!” (cut from Follies), “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (cut from Follies), “Bang!” (cut from A Little Night Music),”The Girls of Summer” (from The Girls of Summer), “Uptown, Downtown” (cut from Follies), “So Many People” (from Saturday Night) “Your Eyes Are Blue” (cut from A Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Forum), “A Moment With You” (from Saturday Night), “There Won’t Be Trumpets (cut from Anyone Can Whistle), and “It Wasn’t Meant To Happen” (cut from Follies).

This is a musical tale about the arrows of love missing their mark: “Well, my dear, take care. It wasn’t meant to happen. Yes, I know–Unfair.” It will be of special interest for Sondheim lovers and those who want to once enjoy the pleasures of the un-microphoned voice, a well-played piano and a close-in feel to live entertainment.

Maybe it is the ever quickening, shorting daylight hours; the recent heartbreaking local events and atmospherics here in the DC area, or just a longing for some small-scale, reachable evening beyond the television, computer screen or smart phone apps to find a mark. It is lovely to know such still exists. Who needs trumpets all the time?

Photo Gallery

Photos by Gary Mester

Cast

• Lou Steele
• Dani Stoller

Crew

• Director: Matt Conner
• Musical Director: Amy Conley
• Scenic Designer: Margie Jervis
• Lighting Director: Kenneth Willis
• Lighting/Sound Technician: Tiara Hairston

Disclaimer: Creative Cauldron provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.