Get into the ’60s groove again with The Company

Get into the '60s groove again with The Company

http://www.decaturdaily.com/detail/66279.html

By Patrice Stewart
8/12/10

The '60s are back.

And if you like music from that era, you'll want to be in the
audience next Thursday, when The Company presents "A '60s
Celebration" at the Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts.

The show will start at 7 p.m. with retro favorites like "Age of
Aquarius," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "I Got You Babe" and medleys
of Beatles and Beach Boy tunes.

Many will remember these songs as date and dance music from high
school and college years: "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You," "My
Girl," "My Guy," "Let's Twist Again" and "Under the Boardwalk."

Romantic tunes include the Andy Williams standard "Moon River" and
the Barbra Streisand classic "People," as well as familiar Broadway
numbers such as "Hello Dolly" and "Cabaret."

The decade of the '60s provided a wealth of music to choose from,
according to Betty Rocha, who is directing the show. She asked each
singer to come up with songs they wanted to include. Then the
extensive list had to be narrowed.

The Company is a cabaret-style outreach group of the Carnegie Visual
Arts Center that has performed several benefit shows. The proceeds
from this event will be used to cover fees, licensing and other
expenses for future shows by the group.

The singers are Carol Bolding, Kelley Gillikin, Laura Phillips, Susan
Godwin Thompson, Noel King, Ken Looney and Danny Morgan. Each has
several solos, along with group numbers.

Virginia Paul accompanies them on piano, and Michael Poovey plays percussion.

This group originally put this fast-moving show together for a
February fundraiser in Hartselle, but changes have been made since then.

"For any who saw the show at the Hartselle Fine Arts Center, this
version will give them many new numbers to enjoy," the director said.

"For example, we have added an Elvis Presley song, with Noel King
singing 'Viva Las Vegas,' " Rocha said. "We didn't have an Elvis song
in that first show, but he was an important part of the 1960s, so we
thought we needed to add him."

The director also added "Sweet Caroline" as a Looney solo.

"That's a fun song ­ but they're all great songs," Rocha said.

She added the songs "Johnny Angel," sung by Phillips, and "Didn't
We," featuring Thompson. She changed some Gillikin solos to "Stop in
the Name of Love" and "A Hush All over the World Tonight."

"And some of these songs have back-up parts, so that gives the group
more to do," Rocha said.

They filled out the program with music by other singers and
composers, such as Neil Diamond and Burt Bacharach.

"The Company is excited about performing at the Princess, which is a
bigger venue," said Rocha. "They're doing a great job, and it's a fun
show to watch."
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If you go

Tickets are $20. Call 256-303-1177 or see www.thecompanydecatur.com.
What: "A '60s Celebration" musical benefit by The Company
When: Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, Decatur
Tickets: $20, available by calling 256-303-1177. See www.thecompanydecatur.com.

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