'The Golden Age Experience' Takes A Step Back In Time
Flowertown Players Partner With Summerville Dream & Orchestra For Enchanting Visit to 1940's Decade
Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer
Entering a joint partnership with Summerville DREAM, the Flowertown Players offer up 'Flowertown Revue: The Golden Age Experience', a spectacular show revisiting the 1940's era, along with the great music and charm that accompanied that dazzling decade.
In this combined fundraising effort the DREAM team and Flowertown Players alongside the Summerville Orchestra welcome audience members to fully embrace themselves in the overall experience, inviting guests to dress in period attire.
Although the first half of the 1940's was darkened by WWII and the great depression, America recovered with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood on the silver screen, as well as 'swing and big band music' resounding from night clubs from coast to coast all across the country.
10 overly enthusiastic performers with Flowertown Players in tandem with the SoJazzy band grace the stage at the historic Summerville Community Theater, offering up the sounds and the visuals from a golden age in entertainment. Everything about this revue is top-notch, from the vocalists and their song selections, to the time honored costumes and the colorful set design.
'The Golden Age Experience' has all the right elements pulling classic hits from the movies and radio, intertwining the songs with bits of comedy and dance. Among the ageless melodies include 'No Business Like Show Business', 'In the Mood', 'Sentimental Journey', 'Rum and Coca Cola', 'Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend', and 'Over the Rainbow'. We're talking songs from the greats such as Glenn Miller and Irving Berlin.
Keeping with the yesteryear theme, the show provided additional humor utilizing a live public announcer between numbers, with the host using his radio friendly voice to promote ads from Summerville area businesses, much like broadcasters did before the modernization of television. It keeps the audience engaged and allows the performers to set the ensuing scene. Absolute genius on part of the production team!
Given the bigger ensemble cast it would be hard to single out any particular performer. Taking nothing away from the gentlemen, considering the amount of stage time, the ladies slightly outshine the guys, and certainly had the most costume changes. Two thumbs up to Aimee Pellegrini for not only performing but acting as managing director.
This experience was put together in just over two months. That alone is astonishing! Keeping in mind several of the performers have day jobs, and fuel their passion by rehearsing for hours on end for weeks at a time to entertain the masses, this production is a step above community theatre. Kudos to everyone in the cast and the crew.
Again this production is a combined fundraising effort with Summerville Dream and Summerville Orchestra, with the overall aim to promote the arts and the town of Summerville. Quite frankly, I hope they enter into similar partnerships on a regular basic, because this is a highly entertaining and very smart show.
If you're reading this on Saturday November 16th than you have two opportunities to take in 'Flowertown Revue : The Golden Age Experience'.
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