 “Had a great evening seeing 'What I Did For Love' at Sleuths...the cast were all wonderful...Lots of fun and memories for any age. ” — Reagan Smith, "Smith and Riley" Radio Show - Clear Channel |
“Writer Dorothy Marcic creates a well structured mash up of the genre, capturing the sound and feel of a time when we were all younger, and perhaps not even born yet. . . . fluid and dynamic show. . . . nostalgic romance coupled with a 21st century attention span.”
|
|
AND THE AUDIENCES HAVE SPOKEN! |
||
|
|
|
|
Review: What I Did For Love
The Ledger
Reviewer: Michael Freeman
April 1, 2009
If there's been one constant, overriding theme in popular music since
recording studios first got invented, it hasn't been war, or social justice,
but something else entirely: the never ending pursuit of love.
Decade after decade, from genres as diverse as pop to the blues, to folk,
rock and country, it's been the most universal theme in music, that eternal
question of why we fall in love, who we latch onto, and how that one
individual can positively captivate us. Over the years, love songs have
expressed a wide range of romantic emotions: the excitement of your first
great crush, the heartache of a burning love that dies, the sorrow of
learning you've been betrayed, and the determination to pick yourself up and
start all over again. Entire albums have been created of nothing more love
songs, all variations on that single theme.
In her new cabaret/musical revenue "What I Did For Love", playwright
Dorothy Marcic uses a series of love songs, mainly top 40 hits from the
1960s, 1970s and 1980s, to chart the changing nature of romance, from the
initial thrill of first falling for that special someone, to the complex
mixture of anxiety and exhilaration when you're ready to settle down into
marriage, to the sting of realizing the love has faded.
Marcic created a similar show called "Respect," which used songs from
different eras to create a kind of musical map demonstrating the changing
role women have played in American society.
"What I Did For Love" operates on a more universal tapestry, connected not
by how attitudes have changed over succeeding years, but rather how popular
love songs have done a remarkable job of portraying specific moods, feelings
and attitudes about the never-ending hunt for a suitable mate -- to the
point where the lyrics of those catchy, finger snapping hits create a story
about how three couples find love, then sorrow, and perhaps a glimmer of
hope once again.
The first act in this three act show looks at six high school students
experiencing their first starry-eyed crush, not to mention more than a touch
of burning passion at times - but at the same time learning ways to
manipulate the object of their desire to get exactly what they want out of
the relationship. Throughout the play, Marcic tells her story entirely
through the songs, demonstrating that pop hits common to any radio listener
may have beguiling beats, but also some rather insightful lyrics about the
strange things that make our hearts tick.
Some of the songs come from the same songwriter, but express different
emotions: early on, the three men share the elation of seeing a fresh face
and knowing that's it, they had found their one and only, through Neil
Diamond's "I'm A Believer" ("I thought love was only true in fairy tales,
then for someone else but not for me -. Then I saw her face -- now I'm a
believer"). Much later, Marcic returns to Diamond when one couple's marriage
turns sour and they lament to one another, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"
("You hardly talk to me anymore when I come through the door at the end of
the day").
By the end of the second act, dubbed "Honeymoon's Over," Marcic has tapped
into virtually every romantic sentiment imaginable: rejection, lust,
manipulation, and even the amazing discovery that once a passion for a loved
one starts to fade, it can be re-ignited -- a development you might never
have imagined was possible.
"What I Did For Love" is less of a straight forward narrative than a look
at how brilliantly popular culture has been documented through the songs we
made into hits. Musicians and songwriters have done a much better job than
you'd think of painting a picture of how men and women relate to -- and
often savage -- one another in an effort to find the glory of love.
This is an energetic and lively production, with a good cast of talented
singers and actors, although it would be tough to deny that Ian Admonson
steals more than his share of the best scenes as Yale, the high school geek
who turns shy and jittery when confronted by the opposite sex; Admonson has
his character down pat, from constantly pushing his oversized glasses back
up his nose, to anxious expressions of bewilderment at a beautiful girl or
his clumsy effort to speak when his brain has no clue what to say. He's
matched by Sarah-Lee Dobbs, who has a lot of fun as Desiree Sue, the vamp
who uses her beauty and trim figure to maximum advantage.
"What I Did For Love" is not only fun to watch because of those talented
performers, or because of those memorable songs. Chances are few if any
member of the audience won't stop at some point during the show, and smile
at the recognition that yes, you were there once, experiencing those exact
same emotions and reactions. The wave of romantic nostalgia that "What I Did
For Love?" evokes is an even better reason to attend and enjoy the show.
To
learn more, call 407-363-1985 or 1-800-393-1985, or log on to
www.sleuths.com.