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Motown magic
Photo
Top Hat Productions’ “57th Street” stars, from left, Tiff any Sokol, Arianna Manigault, Jocelyn Bolling and Gina Villa.
Top Hat offers ‘57th Street’ dinner-theater
IF YOU GO
What: “57th Street” dinner-theater
When: 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; March 2, 3 and 10
Where: Fairview Arts and Outreach Center, 4220 Youngstown-Poland Road, Youngstown
Tickets: $27.50, which includes dinner and the performance; for reservations, call 800-838-3006, or go to brownpapertickets.com
By LORRAINE WARDLE
YOUNGSTOWN
The latest production by Top Hat Productions promises to be a rocking good time.
The theater company will present the world premiere of the musical “57th Street” for two weekends, beginning Friday. “57th Street” takes place in Detroit in 1969 during the height of the Motown music era. Most of the residents in the apartment buildings that line the street hope to become recording artists.
Top Hat director Brian Palumbo wrote “57th Street” about a decade ago. The show originally was set to be performed at that time, but the production fell through.
“It takes place on 57th Street, where singers have moved across the street from a famous record producer,” said Palumbo. “Basically they are constantly trying to perform on the street to impress him, to get his attention and get noticed.”
Palumbo said the show is close to the heart of his theater company.
“We have added so much technology over the last 10 years and expanded it so much,” he said. “Plus, we have a lot of well-known people in it, a lot of great vocalists.”
The second half of “57th Street” will be like a street party, said Palumbo. Audience members can clap and sing along if they want as Motown music fills the air.
“People of all ages can appreciate this music,” he said. The play is full of hits by singers from the era such as Aretha Franklin, The Temptations and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
The ensemble cast consists of many of the area’s finest singers, including theater veterans Nikki Jones, Josh Green, Daniel Clifton Colvin, Marlene Figley, Julie Palumbo, Anthony Villa and Jacinda Madison, who recently was seen in “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” at The Youngstown Playhouse. The production is a dinner- theater show, with the audience seated at tables throughout the performance. The doors open at 5:45 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6 with the play beginning at 7.
The meal, catered by Selah restaurant in Struthers, includes an entr e choice of Selah chicken, tilapia with tiger shrimp, or pasta de Provence, a vegetarian selection. Also included are rolls, salad, wild rice, vegetable and coffee, tea or water.
Reservations are necessary, as audience members must choose their entr es when they reserve their tickets. “57th Street” will be performed in the Fairview Arts and Outreach Center, 4220 Youngstown-Poland Road, Youngstown.
Top Hat does one dinner-theater production each year.
Up next for the company is its popular annual production of the Easter play “The Earth Trembled,” the two weekends before Easter.