2010/01/30
I GOTTA feeling, woo hoo, that tonight’s gonna be a good night – sorry, I just can’t get that song out of my head! I guess I’m still Rocking Through the Decades.
What am I talking about? Well, if you haven’t heard by now, where have you been? I’m talking about Centrestage’s latest offering, Rocking Through the Decades.
The musical/comedy features a mad German scientist (Rob van Vuuren aka Twakkie) who has invented a time machine that magically takes the audience through the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The Centrestage All-Star Band and the new boy band, Escape, truly rocked these musical eras.
The 50s: Included in this early segment are classics like Sh-boom, Calendar Girl, Tutti Frutti, The Great Pretender (much to the audience’s delight) and Wake Up Little Susie. Kudos to the costume designer for bringing The Everly Brothers to life.
The 60s: The innocence of the early 60s rock ’n roll is depicted by popular Eastern Cape comedian Gino Fabbri, who takes a break from the drums to take a turn up front (is there anything this guy can’t do?) as the ultimate bachelor boy Cliff Richard. Fabbri’s husky voice and charisma had the audience singing along to Summer Holiday, Lucky Lips and The Young Ones, among other hits.
The All-Star band was not lost in the shadow of The Shadows. John Lennon once claimed “before Cliff and The Shadows, there was nothing worth listening to in British music” – a tough act to follow, but on a smaller scale, Rocking Through the Decades would not have been worth it without the All- Star Band.
The 60s would not be complete without the king of rock ’n roll, Elvis Presley. Wayne Kallis fills the sex symbol’s shoes as Elvis’s era is revisited. Kallis has an outstanding voice and would easily put professional Elvis impersonators to shame. If he is your only reason for catching the show, I’d say that’s a damn good one.
Did I forget something? Umm ... Oh, yeah, that big outdoor party, where people wear oversized sunglasses, tie-dyed vests, don’t wash their hair for weeks and smoke way too much dope. You guessed it, I’m talking about Woodstock. Donna Africa and Lani Botha sing along to House of the Rising Sun by The Animals and California Dreaming by the Mamas and Papas, although I must say I was a bit disappointed Africa wasn’t given the lead vocals on this one. She has an amazing voice and certainly stands out on stage.
The 70s: I wasn’t really looking forward to this decade as it is probably the era I am least familiar with, but I ended up dancing along to Boston, Journey, Toto and Led Zeppelin.
The 80s: My era! Total Eclipse of the Heart almost had me in tears . Africa’s voice captivated the audience and deserved the standing ovation she received. Other hits included in this segment are Safety Dance, One Night in Bangkok and hits from Der Kommisar. And who could forget songs like How Deep is Your Love, Uptown Girl, Back for Good, Larger than Life, When You’re Looking Like That and I Want it That Way from the Backstreet Boys and Westlife?
The 90s: What better way to end the show than with The Black Eyed Peas? Here, the cast unite to bring the group’s most popular hits to life. Escape member Thuba Mayeki, who was a top 14 Idols finalist, gave Will-i-am a run for his money. This boy has moves, watch this space, I gotta feeling, who hoo, that he’s gonna be a big star – come on, sing with me! Rocking Through the Decades will be on at the Guild Theatre until February 6. Tickets cost R125 and are available from the theatre. Call 0437430704 for more information. - By KATHRYN PARKES
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