Monday, April 4, 2016

“THE TAFFETAS” TAKE A TWIRL MAKING HAPPY TUNES




MIA SCARPA, CHESLEY JO RISTAINO, MELISSA ROSE HIRSCH AND HOLLY O’BRIAN AS “THE TAFFETAS"
Take a quartet of pretty and perky girls, all sisters, and dress them in a swirl of pastel party gowns, put matching scarfs around their necks and white gloves on their hands and you have the delightfully delicious singing group “The Taffetas.” From now until Sunday, April 24, Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury will be paying musical tribute to the girl groups of the 1950’s in this sweet nostalgic journey back in time in a show conceived by Rick Lewis.

Think the McQuire Sisters, the Fontane Sisters or The Chordettes, as Kaye, Peggy, Cheryl and Donna belt out dozens and dozens of golden oldies like a jukebox gone wild.  Mia Scarpa, Chesley Jo Ristaino, Melissa Rose Hirsch and Holly O‘Brian are terrific as these four sisters hailing from Muncie, Indiana who just want to entertain you.

Tonight is their television debut on the Dumont Television Network’s Spotlight on Music and they are primed and ready to perform their hearts out.  The tunes keep rolling out, like a nickelodeon shooting out firecrackers on the Fourth of July.  Starting with “Sh-Boom,” “Mr. Sandman,” and “Tonight You Belong to Me,” they quickly segue into a series of love songs tinged with sorrow, like “I’m Sorry,” “Ricochet,” “Cry” and “Smile.”

Next the group goes traveling from “Constantinople” to Hawaii, France, India and Rome, with stops under the “Allegheny Moon” and a visit to “Old Cape Cod,” pretty much “Around the World.” Love songs are surely a priority as these gals think boys are special.  Tunes like “You, You, You,” “Sincerely,” “Mr. Lee,”  “Where the Boys Are” and “Little Darlin’” complete the play list.  Semina DeLaurentis directs this happy homage to girl groups of a bygone era.  The combo of Jacob Yates, Dan Kraszowski, Mark Ryan and Kurt Burgland set a terrific tempo.

For tickets ($38.50-54), call Seven Angels, Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org.  Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. A special Brass City Music Bash! will be held on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. as a Fundraising Concert for the theatre featuring the Devino Brothers, Michael and Tom, with Tommy Maia to present the Tower of Power music’s greatest hits while Connecticut Transit Authority will perform the music of Chicago.  Call the box office for tickets ($33.75).

Let the Taffetas swing, swirl and sway with songs and patter as they spin the best 1950’s platters.

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