"8-Track: The Sounds of the 70's"

Theatre review
"8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s" at Cortland Repertory Theatre
The Ithaca Journal
June 12, 2008
564 words
"Cortland Repertory Theatre gets back to the 1970s with energetic ‘8-Track'"

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Cortland Repertory Theatre gets back to the 1970s with energetic ‘8-Track'

By Mark Tedeschi • Special to The Journal • June 12, 2008


Cortland Repertory Theatre's latest production, “8-Track: The Sounds of the 70's,” makes one wonder what musical acts from this decade will be looked at as representative of the era. I'm probably not alone in hoping that my favorite bands will stand the test of time, but that's unlikely. Popular music is engineered to claw its way to the top, and it inevitably will reflect the culture of our decade 30 years from now.

“8-Track,” conceived by Rick Seeber, is a poster-sized snapshot of popular music from the 1970s. Michael Gribbin's arrangement is essentially a two-hour medley of about 50 1970s songs of varying reputability--though the cast delivers them all with equal vigor. The instrumental tracks are pre-recorded, but the vocal performances are live and impassioned. Some songs get spotlighted; others are acknowledged with just a snippet.

Gribbin draws from many musical genres (rock, funk, soul, country, and yes, disco), and there's no story in “8-track,” so the pacing is sometimes shaky. It begins with “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,” a song that doesn't have quite the same energy as the show's later numbers like “You Light Up My Life” or “Takin' It to the Streets.” The four cast members (Gabriel Mudd, Crystal Rona Peterson, Katherine Proctor, and Leigh Wakeford) each shout a phrase that supposedly encapsulate the 70s (“Feminism,” “Hedonism,” “What's your sign?” and “Disco!”), announce that a CD of the show is for sale outside, and launch headfirst into the vibrant performance.

Daniel B. Hess directs and choreographs the players in a fast-paced song-and-dance challenge that spans from “We've Only Just Begun” all the way to “Lady Marmalade.” While any audience member is bound to prefer some songs over others, most of the tunes are vocally demanding, and the four talented stars tackle them with zeal. They shine during their solo performances, of which there are several; Mudd's powerful rendition of “My Baby She Wrote Me a Letter” is one of several standouts. Occasionally, vocal effects are added (Don Tindall, sound designer) to enhance the songs' delivery.

Hess and company execute entertaining choreography without being too flashy. “Brick House” brings some stellar energetic dancing, and all the movements in the second-act opener, “One Toke Over the Line,” are performed sitting down.

The set, designed by Sarah Martin and lit by Todd Proffitt, evokes a skating rink (and it is cleverly used as such briefly in the show) with its rainbow-color patterns, rope lights, and glitter. It matches Wendi Zea's many excellent costumes: denim suits, bell-bottoms, huge collars, and plenty of vests.

The amped-up disco-medley portion is saved for the end of the show. The cast barrels nonstop through “I Will Survive,” “Shake Your Booty,” “Get Down Tonight,” “Stayin' Alive,” “YMCA,” and a handful of other standards.

The people who will enjoy “8-Track” the most will almost certainly be those who lived through the era and can relish the barrage of nostalgia. The same people who love to make fun of disco, I'll bet, aren't able to stop themselves from singing along whenever it comes on.

Even though what is popular may not be what is best (Where is the Led Zeppelin? The Pink Floyd? The Who?), it's worth inspecting to remember what the fuss was all about. If Qiana shirts and pet rocks still make you chuckle, then you'll love “8-Track.”

“8-Track: The Sounds of the 70's” will run at the Cortland Repertory Theatre through Saturday, June 14. Visit www.cortlandrep.org or call (800) 427-6160 for tickets or more information.