Jukebox One-Hit Wonders • The Musical Misfits! Reopen The Court Theatre

As the Saginaw Choral Society continues to celebrate their 90^th Anniversary of building and uniting our community together through music, the long anticipated re-opening of Saginaw’s Court Street Theatre will set the stage for their next musical excursion poised to take audiences on a Valentine weekend journey through some of the best Pop gems of the 1960s & ‘70s with JUKEBOX ONE HIT WONDERS • The Musical Misfits.

Set for performances on Friday, February 13^th at 7 PM and Saturday, February 14^th at 3:00 PM, this brilliantly concocted musical celebration will feature some of region’s A-List musicians serving as the instrumental engine to showcase dozens of Choral Society vocalists performing 90 minutes of  pop music gems that burned bright and fast and had their moment, but now have a remarkable opportunity to shine once again.

Conceived, written and directed by Ric Roberts, this all-singing tribute to the ultimate one-hit wonders is designed to be packed with glitter, glam, and guilty pleasures, and builds upon strong outings by the Choral Society earlier in their season with their successful Celtic Christmas show in December and sold-out performances of Grefe Gaus & Grefe at Pit & Balcony back in November.

A former faculty member at SVSU, Roberts started producing and writing various Cabaret shows for the Choral Society that began more or less as a member’s recital showcase. “Different members would solo on one of their favorite songs; and while the singers were fantastic, there was no rhyme or reason to the showcase,” he explains.

“So we started to develop formal themes to accompany the showcase and those had more bite and turned out really well in terms of connecting with audiences. I believe this is the sixth or seventh showcase I’ve arranged for them, and this year we picked “One Hit Wonders’ for the theme,” he explains. “Everybody knows what that is. It’s usually a number one or at least a top-ten hit that an artist has produced and then you never hear from them again, and there are hundreds of them.”

Roberts says he got his list down to 200 songs and didn’t know which ones to tackle, but finally pared the list down to 21 songs, with a cast that has been working diligently and hard at nailing them to perfection.

“The hardest part for me as a writer and director is to find a way to connect all of these very random songs that emerged over two decades from the 1960s to the 1970s, because I want every person who walks in that door to know every song we perform,” continues Roberts.

“This year it’s kind of a parody of the American Top-40. Because it's Valentine's weekend, there's going to be these dedications - the same thing that Casey Kasem would have done. But it’s definitely a fun 90 minutes of music with some really fine singers.”

For the core musical line-up Roberts has enlisted the musical prowess of Steve Nyquist on drums, Joe Balbaugh on bass, and Bryan Latimer on piano. “Our musicians are fantastic,” comments Ric. “I was fortunate to be introduced to Steve back when he was a student at SVSU and  he is one of the finest percussionists we have, especially from the standpoint of working with singers. He understands when he’s with a rock band, and he understands how to play when he’s in a musical, or with a jazz band. We’re lucky to have him back for our third year. 

“Joe Balbaugh is also very versatile as a bassist, and in the past we’ve had multiple piano players. The last two or three we’ve had Kevin Cole, but he had a previous engagement so this year we’re using Bryan, who is a very fine pianist from Saginaw.”

As far as Saginaw Choral Society vocal soloists, Ric says that including himself, this year’s show features over a dozen singers, one of the biggest casts he’s ever assembled, including Jim Smerdon, Joe Balbaugh, Nancy Stevenson, Danielle Davis, Stephanie Bale, Theresa Mahan, Diane Maki, with a chorus featuring Alayna Remer,  Karen Reynolds,  Lisa Bale,  and Mike Sullivan.

“What’s difficult about producing a show of this kind is that the Choral Society is filled with wonderful singers and is a fantastic group,” he reflects. “Obviously, we’re celebrating our 90^th Anniversary and are excited about this show, but a lot of them aren’t performers in the sense of being at the front of the line, because they’re not actors. They love the idea of being in a chorus, so that’s why I’m writing this show with several chorus numbers as well. Plus, a lot of these songs have harmonies that require back-up singers and can get pretty intricate.”

As for the biggest challenge involved with producing a show with so many moving parts, Ric references corralling everybody in for rehearsals. “We only meet once a week so I always tell the cast it’s plug and play. I assign all the individual solos and we meet weekly, but we don’t really hit it hard until that Wednesday and Thursday of show week, so that’s the most difficult part.  But they’re all seasoned performers, so it’s easier from that viewpoint.  The second hardest thing is finding a way to weave all the connective tissue so all the songs work together.”

“I’m really excited about this production,” concludes Ric. “It’s a Valentine weekend and that gives somebody a great opportunity for a really nice day on Friday or Saturday to see the show, and it’s really a trip down memory lane.  These are all songs people know and I always tell the cast, particularly if they’ve never done it before, to be prepared for people to sing along because they do every single time.  People are usually up dancing and seem to understand the whole premise of joy is what these shows are built around.”

“It’s really exciting to be staging this as the first performance at the newly reopened Court Street Theatre as well. Jordan Dice has done some really fine stuff in the area and Is one of my very favorite people, and we’re really all realty enthusiastic about having this opportunity.”

Here’s a list of what savory sweets await for your ears to consume in this tasty box of musical chocolates:

 ACT ! • 

The End of the World -  Skeeter Davis - 1963 -  Theresa Mahan 

Dancing in the Moonlight -  King Harvest -  1973 -  Jim Smerdon

I Will Follow Him - Peggy March - 1963 - Diane Makl

To Sir With Love - Lulu - 1967 - Nancy Stevenson

Previous and Few - Climax - 1972 - Ric Roberts

Rescue Me - Fontella Bass - 1965 -  Danielle Davis

Harper Valley PTA -  Jeannie C. Riley - 1968 - Stephanie Bale

Signs -  Five Man Electrical Band - 1971 -  Joe Balbaugh

United We Stand - Brotherhood of Man - 1970 -  Act 1 Finale - All w/Chorus

Act 2 •

You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone - 1977 - Diane Makl

Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills - 1974 -  Alayna Remer

Torn Between Two Lovers - Mary McGregor - 1976 - Theresa Mahan

In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry - 1971 - Jim Smerdon

At Seventeen - Janis Ian - 1975 - Nancy Stevenson

Brandy - Looking Glass - 1972 - Ric Roberts

Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum - 1969 - Joe Balbaugh

I Love The Nightlife - Alicia Bridges - 1978 - Stephanie Bale

Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston - 1977 - Danielle Davis

Hey Hey Goodbye - Steam - 1969 - Act 2 Finale - All w/Chorus

Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band - 1976 - Encore - All w/Chorus

Jukebox One Hit Wonders • The Musical Misfits Happens on Friday & Saturday at The Court Street Theatre, 1216 Court St., in Saginaw. Performances are at 7 PM on Friday and 3 PM on Saturday. Tickets start at $30.00 and can be obtained by visiting saginawchroalsociety.com or at the Box Office.