MUSICAL PROOF THAT "LIFE COULD BE A DREAM"

KAITE CORDA AND JON ESCOBAR AS LOIS AND SKIP

Come grab a bean bag chair and cozy up in Denny's basement rec room for a musical trip down memory lane, especially if the songs of the 1950's and 1960's are YOUR favorite tunes. Come meet two boys who want to sing, as they start off as a duet, enlarge into a trio and finally make their mark as a quartet. They began  as the Crooning Crabcakes at Springfield High School and now they have set their goals, in their new iteration as Denny and the Dreamers, to win the Big Whooper Radio's Lifetime Talent Search Contest.

Think a giant jukebox that is filled to the brim with great tunes of yesteryear exploding on the stage of the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin weekends until Saturday, May 6 and there is no need to pump in quarters.  Will Danny and his pals make it to the big time?  To find out you have to come to Roger Bean's musical show "Life Could Be a Dream" and listen for yourself.

Denny, an ambitious Jayson Beaulieu, does not want to get a job, a refrain his mother keeps echoing.  He feels strongly that winning this rock and roll talent contest will launch his career.  To help him on his musical mission, he has enlisted his pal Eugene, a less than confident but eager to learn  Rick Bennett and his religiously zealous friend Wally, a sunny Jordan T. Duvall. The first big stumbling block they encounter is the need for a $50 entry fee.  Where will it come from?  Wally nominates Big Earl, owner of Big Stuff Auto, a man he knows from church, to be their sponsor.

When Big Earl sends his head mechanic Skip, an older but wiser and magnetizing Jon Escobar, to check out the group, Earl's daughter Lois, a charmer with a heavenly voice named Kaite Corda, tags along to offer coaching advice.  Her appearance sends Eugene, who had been crushed by her rejection in fifth grade, into a tizzy and causes all the males in attendance to experience testosterone tail spins of their own.

Soon they realize that Lois only has eyes for Skip and the feeling is mutual, but Skip knows his job is on the line and Big Earl is not going to give them his blessing.  Everything is soon in jeopardy when Skip is fired and the group no longer has its trusty leader.

A parade of super hits are serenaded from "Fools Fall in Love," "Earth Angel," "Sunday Kind of Love," "Unchained Melody," "The Glory of Love" to "Duke of Earl," each one better than the one before, and all great listening.  Kris McMurray directs this on-target cast in this fun and groovy journey back in time with style and grace.

For tickets ($30), call CT Cabaret, 31-33 Webster Square Road, Berlin at 860-829-1248 or online at www.ctcabaret.com.  Performances are  Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m.

Don't forget to bring goodies to share at your table or plan to buy them at the concession stand on site.

Don't be a "Runaround Sue" or "The Wanderer" and take a chance on missing this fun doo-wop, rama lama ding dong, sh-boom of a show. Singing along is encouraged.