The Off Broadway Players did some reminiscing Tuesday about those long gone high school days of hand jiving, Bristol stomping and jailhouse rocking.
And let’s not forget the hanky panky.
The Players, with plenty of help from guest singers, turned the Savannah Center into a time machine. It went full throttle back to those golden oldie days of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. The show was called “Rock and Roll High School Reunion.”
“It was a lot of fun to grow up back then and we had a ball putting this show together,” said Shirley Keith, the director and choreographer. “The people in the audience love these songs and what we’re doing. It’s a way to remember the good times when we were young.”
You can see a clip from the show here:
The show kicked off with a nostalgic tone as Ray Leggiero teamed with Glorianne Lowe and Irene Pierce to sing the mellow Perry Como hit, “Magic Moments.”
But this was Rock and Roll High School and Como’s music was a bit square for the cool kids. These Villages seniors stared rocking with Danny and the Juniors. Juanita Doyle combined with Donna Francis, Bobbie Steele-Marotta and George Pieper to get things jumping with Danny and the Juniors, “At The Hop.”
Diane Wright, Patti Card, Penny Kintz and Vanita Turner made like the Chiffons with a smooth version of “He’s So Fine.”
Next up were the greasy guys – Tim Francis, Patrick O’Brien, George Pieper and John Turner – who looked nasty and cool doing “Hand Jive.”
The Off Broadway Dancers had a blast tapping and gyrating to the Dovells’ “Bristol Stomp.”
Then came Bob Brandoni, Joe DiLeo, John Kintz and Steve Rubin with tight jeans and leather jackets as they sang Tommy James’ classic rocker, “Hanky Panky.” Who could forget these memorable lyrics: “My baby does the hanky panky.” All these years later, I still don’t know what Tommy James was singing about.
Brandoni had a more serious singing style on Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover.” Steve Rubin made like Ricky Nelson on “Hello Mary Lou and John Kintz made the girls swoon with “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.”
“That’s a good make out song,” Kintz said in his mean-teen tough-guy voice.
Joe DiLeo finished the “guy set” with a cover of the Drifters’ “Save the Last Dance For Me.”
Everything was rocking until the adults from the PTA showed up.
“We’re very concerned about the students playing this rock and roll music,” said PTA Lady Diana Arlt. She gave an example of her version of “good” music with a soft cover of “You Belong to Me.” Jan Lavin, also with the PTA, offered a shimmering and wistful “Sentimental Journey.”
But the PTA squares could only hold the stage for a little while. The cool kids came back, led by Joyce Abate and Glorianne Lowe who romped through Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking.”
The Off Broadway Dancers then delivered the highlight of the evening with “Jailhouse Rock.” They were dressed as jailbirds in striped suits as Elvis’ song wailed in the background.
Next thing know you four –count ‘em—Elvis’s appeared on stage disguised as Brandoni, DiLeo, Kintz and Rubin. They sang “Teddy Bear” as a group of dancers and Elvis fans offered their own teddy bears to the King.
Barbara Hanberry made like Connie Francis on “Stupid Cupid.” Bob Muldoon found himself caught in a washtub that was rolled across the stage to the Bobby Darin song, “Splish Splash.” Muldoon kept things clean.
The whole cast was rocking and rolling on “Shout, Shout Knock Yourself Out,” and Lynn Damaske displayed a mile-high beehive hairdo as she sang, “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
The Prime Time Twirlers made some baton magic to a rollicking version of the Beach Boys, “Little Deuce Coupe.” And the Travelin’ Shoes Clogging Team kicked up its heels to a rock and roll beat.
The Off Broadway Players donated the proceeds to charity for the shows, which were held Monday and Tuesday. Keith said the group has donated $8,000 to various local charities, including the Lady Lake Food Pantry, Operation Shoebox and has also raised money to help the children of the Ocala National Forest.
