UNDER THE STREETLAMP Comes to the State, 5/4

Retro never sounded so now! UNDER THE STREETLAMP, America's hottest new vocal group, performs an electrifying evening of classic hits from the American radio songbook. Exuding the irresistible rapport of a modern day Rat Pack, the quartet - recent leading cast members of the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys - deliver an evening of unforgettable entertainment. You'll hear Doo-Wop, Motown, old time Rock 'n' Roll and all of your favorite songs from The Drifters, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Four Seasons, and many others.

Show time is Saturday, May 4 at 8 PM. Tickets are $45 & $35 and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132 or online at www.statetheatre.org.
Sponsored by: Moravian Hall Square

Formed in Chicago in 2010, Under the Streetlamp quickly earned a local devoted following--and a reputation for generation-bridging concerts that has paved the way to a much-anticipated debut CD/DVD. Titled Under The Streetlamp: Live!, the concert recording is also the centerpiece of PBS pledge drives in major markets throughout the country including LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Tampa, Minneapolis, Miami, Cleveland, Portland, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, New Orleans and many more.

"Its music that was largely created in urban settings like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit," Wiley continues. "People lived in small, tight quarters, and when it got too hot in summer, they'd congregate on the streets to play dominos or stickball, or gather under a streetlamp to sing."

Groups like Dion and The Belmonts ("I Wonder Why"), The Chords ("Sh-Boom") and The Drifters ("Save The Last Dance For Me"), all of whose songs are represented on Under The Streetlamp: Live!; so are the likes of The Beach Boys ("I Get Around"), The Temptations ("Get Ready"), The Beatles ("Twist And Shout"), The Turtles ("Happy Together"), and, notably, The Four Seasons ("Workin' My Way Back To You"). For it was a stint in Jersey Boys-the award-winning Broadway musical bio based on The Four Seasons-that brought Under the Streetlamp together.
"At the same time we're digging farther back," says Wiley. "I do 'When You're Smiling' an old standard written by Al Jolson that allows me to put my tap shoes on. We also have a seven-piece band that includes musicians who played with the originators like Sinatra and Valli, who have the sensibility to maintain the classic sound while we push it forward for the next generation."

For the next generation, too, are the group's community-directed workshop activities.

"It's been important to the four of us from the very beginning to demonstrate our gratitude to the communities who welcome us by giving back in some way," explains Wiley. "This has taken many forms - from personally collecting donations post-show to benefit a local student with a brain injury, to providing a platform for students to perform for a sold-out house during our show. We also typically invite students from local high schools or performing arts schools to join us for a master class before sound check: Anyone who has 'made it' in the business knows that there is a glut of misleading 'information' out there about how one makes a career in show business, that keeps young people afraid that there is no place in the arts world for them."

Under the Streetlamp, then, strives "to illuminate the reality of pursuing your goals in show business--that vision, determination, perseverance and love of the craft are the tools one needs to achieve a career in the arts, and more importantly, that these are also the keys to success an any venture," adds Ingersoll. "We came to this band having traveled very disparate paths, and we emphasize that there is absolutely no 'right' way to find yourself working consistently in the arts. And our talks with the kids mirror our vision for our older audiences--to provide an environment free of cynicism and conflict while fostering hope and positivity. If they want to know about money, we talk about it. If they want to know about relationships, we're open. If they want us to sing, we sing. It's our opportunity to serve--plain and simple."

It's also all part of acting as ambassadors for the music that the group is sworn to preserve.

"There's something unique about the music that came out of the '60s period," Cunio says. "Not many young people are doing this music live, and we're trying to make sure it doesn't stop with our generation in our more fragmented digital time. But it's no accident that the people who come out to our shows know all the words to all the songs: We've found that the oldies stations are the only ones that kids and parents agree on, and that 18-year-olds have just as much fun at our shows as their grandparents. This music exists in everyone's consciousness unlike any other genre, and we keep that in mind and pay respect to it."

To post a comment, you must register and login.