What better winter blah-buster could you ask for than being transported back in time to the 60s and 70s, when bell-bottoms were ridiculously wide and music was like, wild and groovy?
Set amidst a carnival backdrop, The Show Must Go On returns to Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre, starting this Friday. This popular high-energy rock musical features nostalgic favourites from such beloved bands as the Temptations, Led Zeppelin, and the super-smooth Smokey Robinson.
Writer/director Lee Siegel, who also designed the sets, chose a carnival theme to mirror that action-packed flower power era.
“The 60s and 70s were a tumultuous time,” said Siegel, “filled with ups and downs, scares, laughs, and packed with nostalgia. When you think of a carnival, it too is filled with ups, downs, scares, laughs and nostalgia. The setting just fit.”
While depicting a darkish love story set during war time, The Show Must Go On is jam-packed with nearly 70 songs that defined those unforgettable decades, when race riots were rampant and peace-loving hippies marched against the controversial Vietnam War.
Some—such as War—were obvious songs of protest, while others—like the Beatles’ tender ballad, If I Fell in Love With You, Marvin Gaye’s sultry Let’s Get It On, and the Turtles’ classic Happy Together—were simple, heartfelt love songs, which have withstood the test of time.
From brilliant lyrical tunes penned by Simon and Garfunkel to the hallucinatory Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix, there’s something for every type of music fan at this show.
Ann-Marie Zammit, who plays the sexy ringleader and winds up in a shocking love triangle, has a “rock voice” that’s powerful enough to do justice to both blues and rock anthems, sung by legends Janis Joplin and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.
The show’s choreography runs the gamut from go-go dancing to tricky dances with mirrors, along with trademark clever Oh Canada Eh? musical mash-ups.
As always, you can count on the comfort food family-style feast in the warm and welcoming log cabin, located at 8585 Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls.
The Show Must Go On runs from Dec. 28 through Jan. 26, 2019.
Call 1-800-467-2071 for tickets or order online at www.ohcanadaeh.com