Musical Tribute THE SUMMER OF LOVE Set for Hudson Village Theatre, 7/3-14

The sixties was a time of incredible social change marked by some of the best music ever written. Relive the 'flower power' days with the hit import, C2 Entertainment's The Summer of Love, created by Chris McHarge and Colin Stewart, presented by the Hudson Village Theatre from July 3 to 14.

McHarge and Stewart have created a musical tribute that takes audiences back to a time when it seemed that summer would last forever and all that young people wanted was peace and love. One of the trademarks of that music was harmony. "I'm blown away by the harmonies and I'm in heaven with all this music," said director McHarge, siting titles like Creeque Alley, Monday, Monday, California Dreamin' (The Mamas & the Papas); Sound of Silence, Scarborough Fair, Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel); and 'the summer of love's' unofficial anthem, Scott McKenzie's Are You Going To San Francisco.

The show kicks off showcasing groups like The Beach Boys, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and The Monkees. Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Joni Mitchell songs focus on the impact of the folk movement, closing the first act with music from Buffalo Springfield and Bob Dylan reflecting the unrest over Vietnam and the call for peace. Act two highlights one of the pivotal events of the era: the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Although The Doors never performed at the festival, their signature song, Light My Fire, haled the birth of 'the summer of love' and it leads the live recreation of some of the most memorable performances from such greats as Janis Joplin, The Association, and Laura Nero performing songs that were the cornerstones of the hippy movement.

"We wanted to celebrate the music of the decade, creating a journey from innocence to experience", McHarge continued. The show accomplishes that with a surprisingly small but versatile cast of four backed up by four musicians. Colleen Aynn, with CD Who Do You Want to Be? to her credit, has performed on stage, radio and television across Canada. Natalie Howard, who was born and raised in London (UK) has performed in musical theatre productions around the world. Derek Marshall performs in jazz and blues clubs, casinos and symphony halls in Canada, the US and Europe and is the co-author and star of Vegas Knights. Australian, Paul Wilson has a wide theatrical background including roles in Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls and Norm Foster's Outlaw. Colin Stewart (Bass), Kenny Stewart (Drums), Doug Varty (Guitar), and Chris Dahmer (Piano) make up the band and Barb McLean stage manages. (Full biographies for the singers follow.)

The Summer of Love schedule can be found at: http://www.villagetheatre.ca/Show/146.aspx

To post a comment, you must register and login.