Review: OH WHAT A NIGHT Proves it is Quite a Night in San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas has a rich history especially that of the Alamo and many military bases that have existed over the years. But, along with its history, San Antonio also has a lot of talent that has been seen at many of the local theaters rich in history. One such theater is that of the Harlequin Theatre located on Ft. Sam Houston Military Base. In the heart of San Antonio sits a great place where talent has abounded over the years. As it's still used today, one cannot wonder about some of the past shows and all the talent that has graced the stage. Currently playing at the Harlequin is a fun show called, "Oh What a Night." It stars brilliant talent in that of Shawn Kjos, Sarah Peter, Katie Molina, Ashton Folsom, Samantha Eberle, and Steven Parra. This show was not so typical of what you may expect to see at a theater. Instead, it was one continuous evening of entertainment, sharing songs of days gone by. The songs were popular in the 50's and 60's and the music kept coming and coming. The performers were up to the task of singing such past hits as "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," "Blue Moon," "Willie and the Hand Jive," and "Wipeout." Such diverse songs made one wonder if the singers were up to the task. But, as the show progressed, you knew they were.

Some stand-out songs of the evening included "Down by the Riverside" as the cast harmonized perfectly and serenely making the audience gasp and applaud at the end of the song. Another song that was a great hit for the audience was "Let's Have a Party" sung by Katie Molina. As such a song can be more demanding, Molina owned the song and kept the audience clapping along. Ashton Folsom's rendition of "One Fine Day" was a lot of fun as the other girls helped with harmony as well as dancing along. And speaking of dancing, Sarah Peter acted as choreographer for the production and also shared her singing talents. And the choreography was well executed throughout the production. As the show continued, Samantha Eberle shared her young talent and rich voice when she sang "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" with the other girls. Although still a teen herself, you could see that Eberle has a real passion for performing and desire to entertain.

As the girls stood out on their own, so did the two men involved in the production. Steven Parra has been performing at Six Flags Fiesta Texas as well as Carnival Cruise Lines but, this was his first chance to be part of the Harlequin Theater. As Parra sang, "Save the Last Dance for Me," he involved some couples from the audience to dance together as he found his own dance partner for the song too. It was a sweet and tender moment and Parra's voice was up to the challenge.

And we cannot leave out the talent of Shawn Kjos. Not only could he belt out some wonderful Frankie Valli high notes in such songs as "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Dawn," but Kjos also served as the director and writer of the evening's production. He proved he has the talent to pull of a variety of songs as he continued to keep the rest of the cast on task.

All and all, the Harlequin Theatre and the latest production, "Oh What a Night" showed that there is a lot of talent in San Antonio and it's worth the effort to search it out for an evening of entertainment and relaxation. The production continues through July 15, 2017. Go to the Harlequin's Facebook page for details on purchasing tickets as well as directions. Don't miss out.

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