BRIDGEPORT'S DOWNTOWN CABARET MUSICALLY CELEBRATES THE SIXITIES

You might remember the 1960’s as a kinder, gentler time with hippies, flower children and Woodstock. It was also a time of tumult and trauma, with the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also marked by the conflicts over civil rights and the Vietnam War, with riots, protests and marches. This decade claims the Cuban Missile Crisis, the end of Camelot and man’s successful landing on the moon. The historical highs and lows of this era have been captured in photos and songs by Bridgeport’s Downtown Cabaret weekends until Sunday, May 15 in “Decades in Concert: Spirit of the Sixties,” conceived by Hugh Hallinan and written by Phill Hill. Jennifer Kaye skillfully directs and choreographs this decade of hopes and disillusionment. A quartet of talented performers - Everton George, Mikayla Petrilla, Robert Peterpaul and Saige Bryan, with Sean Davis as understudy - take the audience on a masterful journey musically. With numerous costume changes, thanks to Lesley Nelson-Bowman, the show is like a giant fashion show of fringes, boots, ponchos, love beads, polka-dotted prints, bell bottom jeans and tye-dyed shirts. Feel free to come dressed appropriately. Along with a non-stop projection of news footage, the group sings protest songs and a whole parade of hit tunes of the times, like “Preacher’s Son,” “The Sound of Silence,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” “Respect,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” and “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” The wonderful evening ends with a medley of the Beatles’ favorite hits, like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Hard Day’s Night,” "Help.” “All You Need is Love,” and “Hey, Jude.” Along the way they conjure up groups like the Marvelettes, the Supremes, The Four Tops and the Jackson Five. For tickets ($ 35), call the Downtown Cabaret, 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport at 203-576-1636 or online at my cabaret.org. Shows are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. Remember to bring snacks or a dinner to enjoy during the show. Patrons need to show a fully vaccinated proof or a negative COVID test less than 48 hours old, but home COVID tests are not accepted. For the kiddies, check the schedule for “Beauty and the Beast.” Upcoming shows include a “50’s Dance Party: Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens” on May 31, followed by “Elton John” by Captain Fantastic on June 4. Turn the clock back to the 1960’s to discover a time of change and transition and the music those events inspired so clearly.