Sunny Afternoon Concert Review

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“It’s not about the words, it’s about the atmosphere,” remarked one of the main characters and lead singer, Ray Davies, as if he reached an epiphany near the end of the performance. It is this single phrase that encapsulates the entirety of Sunny Afternoon. Set in bustling 1960s London, this musical traverses the ups and downs of the careers and personal lives of members of the British rock band, the Kinks. Without missing a beat, the actors, the set, lighting, music, and active engagement with the audience makes Sunny Afternoon not only a historically accurate production, but a lively and an overall entertaining experience. Although I arrived just five minutes before the musical started, I immediately noticed the colorfully decorated theatre and watched as the background dancers and singers walked across the lobby in their elaborate 1960s-era dresses and suits. The performers then continued down into the side aisles of the theatre to wait for their cue to ascend the stage. Once I took my seat, the show began with a juvenile boy band playing backup music for a haughty doo-wop artist at a fancy cocktail party. Suddenly, the band literally began to march …show more content…

For me, it is this element that made Sunny Afternoon so exceptional. Music is meant to bring people together and express what plain words cannot; the Kink’s music in coordination with the production accomplished this. The actors who played the band members performed like true rock stars, as they pointed at people while singing and encouraged the audience to clap along to the music. From my experience at the theatre, these things rarely happen throughout the show but rather, at the end towards the finale. Therefore, the actors’ successful attempts to excite the audience for the length of their performance was extremely

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