Anthony Bean Community Theater

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Aug 7, 2006 by Ruth from Baltimore
Overall Rating: 10

• The connections between the love for music between generations.
• The seating was not the most comfortable, but worth it for the show.

“On Sunday, August 6, I was able to see the final performance of the ABCT kids summer program -- 'Annie Mae's Cafe' and 'Shut Up 'n Dance.' It was packed to standing room with adults and kids. The costumes and stage set were so good -- if you can imagine 8- to 18-year-olds in dress of the 1940s to 1960s, lip-synching with heartfelt emotion to songs like Otis Redding's 'I've Been Loving You' and Etta James' 'Don't Cry Baby,' among 21 others. The audience added a whole dimension to the performances, with the adults enjoying the added pleasure of watching the younger generation perform familiar songs cherished during younger days. When the play opened, the kids sat on a stoop, two of them complaining about staying with an uncle post-hurricane who listened to the blues all day long. They were upset because the blues music sounded so sad. The uncle walked by and talked about how he had lost his record player in the storm and couldn't play his old blues records with. He takes the kids to a special place where they could only go if they set aside their minds and felt with their hearts. The rest of the play is a lesson in the blues and what it means to feel the blues. As the kids performed on stage the audience, especially adults, laughed, clapped, whooped and shouted out to the players, "Go on, girl" and "Boys, it's going to be okay!" The audience reaction was just as much fun and part of the show as the performances. They also sang along. The two ladies sitting next to me commented during intermission that it was nice to see these young kids appreciating the blues, and learning -- with their hearts -- about the music their parents and grandparents loved. The entire second play was rap and hip-hop music, which possibly shocked the adults after the slower pace of the first play. 'Shut Up 'N Dance' was performed fully through dance and gesture -- no speech. It was a cool contract to see the hip-hop dance and the talent of the dancers.”

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