California Dreamin’ at The Playhouse, Weston

It was the summer of 1969, I was a 14 year old would-be “Flower Child” and Woodstock hit the TV screen. I was ecstatic, but my parents were not!

Such are the evocative memories that this cheerily nostalgic show sparked in me last night at California Dreamin’, and I sang virtually every word of each song with gusto; likewise my companion, only half my age, but evidently a lass with immaculate musical taste.

The first half of the show reprised a great range of 60’s musical styles, opening with “Sgt Pepper”, followed in quick succession by “Spirit in the sky”, “Bridge over troubled water”, “Oh Happy Day”, and then absolutely breath taking renditions of two of my personal favourites “Eve of Destruction” and “After the Goldrush”. If you want to understand the ethos of the late 60s/early70s, just look up these songs, and you will almost smell the atmosphere of the times!

The second part of the evening focused more on the music of the Mamas and the Papas, Scott Mckenzie and the Byrds, and ended with a great performance of “Proud Mary”, which really persuaded the audience to test out their collective lung power. And then we returned to the reality of 2020, all being more likely to end the evening with a warming beverage rather than something a little more “stimulating “!

I was disappointed to note that the theatre was barely more than half full, as this was a show that had a very wide appeal, with talented singers and musicians who worked hard to engage their audience.

Let’s hope that California Dreamin’ returns to the Playhouse in the near future and can be more widely appreciated next time, because this was a good show which definitely gets a thumbs up from this wilted “Flower Child”.

 

See what else is coming up at The Playhouse, Weston

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