Westchester Broadway Theatre Presents A Doo Wop Evening With The Coasters & More 8/18

When Cornell Gunter's Coasters take the stage, get out of the way. This steamroller of good shtick - and song - leads you down its path of oldies with such energy and vigor, you'll be singing along in no time. They are teaming up with legendary Motown marvels The Platters. Together these groups offer a blast from the past that will jolt you out of your seat.

The Coasters' upbeat music and positive energy, make everyone have a good time. It doesn't matter if you don't know the words, or remember the songs - the band will make you part of its show. From 1956 to 1961, the Coasters released a string of classic singles that reflected the life of the American teenager with keen wit and hot, rocking harmonies. Invariably those songs were written, produced and arranged by the duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Leiber and Stoller's witty, street-smart "playlets" were sung with sly, clowning humor by the Coasters and accompanied by the hot, honking "yakety sax" of King Curtis. The Coasters' parlayed their R&B roots into rock and roll hits by delivering the serio-comic tunes in an uptempo doo-wop style. Beneath the humor the songs often made incisive points about American culture for those willing to dig a little deeper. "Searchin' (#1 R&B, #3 pop), "Young Blood" (#2 R&B, #8 pop), "Yakety Yak" (#1 R&B, #1 pop), "Charlie Brown" (#2 R&B, #2 pop), "Along Came Jones" (#14 R&B, #9 pop) and "Poison Ivy" (#1 R&B, #1 pop). In June of 1961: The Coasters' last big hit, "Little Egypt" (#16 R&B, #23 pop) is released. On January 21, 1987: The Coasters are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cornell Gunter, an original member of the Coasters, was referred to as the group's comic genius. He certainly left his mark on the present group, Steve Smith, Cliff Dawson, Donald Pinkney and Early Clover (the late Gunter's cousin)

The Platters were one of the top vocal groups of the Fifties, delivering smooth, stylized renditions of pop standards. Like the Ink Spots a decade earlier, they were the most popular black group of their time, achieving success in a crooning, middle-of-the-road style that put a soulful coat of uptown polish on pop-oriented, harmony-rich material. Their lengthy string of hits began in 1955 with "Only You" and continued till the end of the decade, including four singles that reached #1: "The Great Pretender," "My Prayer," "Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." The secret of the Platters' success had to do with their choice of material: adult ballads and standards that predated the rock and roll era, which were delivered with crisp, impeccable harmonies framed by string-laden arrangements. Much of the credit is due to Buck Ram, the group's producer, manager and guiding light. After their initial success, the group went on to record 33 more pop hits on Mercury by 1962. The Platters' final top forty song, With This Ring, left the charts in 1967. They sold 53 million records and were among the first doo-wop groups to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.The Platters' Lead vocalist Derek David shines in belting out these hits, backed up by Curtis Bridgeforth, Arnold Parker and Kristy Brooks (who has ties to the original band). The Platters allow the audience to be caught up in their tender melodies in an understated performance.

A night or rock and roll legends and soulful hits will bring you to your feet at the show's close. The timeless music of Cornell Gunter's Coasters, and The Platters can be enjoyed by all generations as they embody the meaning of feel good music and talented entertainers.

Featuring: THE PLATTERS, One of the Top Vocal Groups of the 50's
ONLY YOU ~ YOU'VE GOT THAT MAGIC TOUCH ~ MY PRAYER ~ SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
Cornell Gunter's COASTERS, The Supreme Comedians of Rock and Roll
YAKETY YAK ~ Charlie Brown ~ SEARCHIN' ~ POISON IVY
Acapella Group: CLASSIC SOUNDS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th
$73.00 PLUS TAX for Dinner & Show
6:15pm Dinner & 8pm Show