Willows Theatre Ends Run of 8-TRACK: THE SOUNDS OF THE 70'S, 4/18

The Willows Theatre Company will end its run of the musical revue 8-Track: The Sounds of the 70's on April 18th at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward Street in Martinez. 8-Track is conceived by Rick Seeber and directed by Richard Elliott, with musical direction by Timothy Hanson.

The non-stop cascade of 70's songs include "Close to You," "I Am Woman," "Lady Marmalade," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "I Write the Songs," "We Are Family," "Shake Your Booty," and on and on...

Denver-based Rick Seeber started on his "Sounds of the 70's" project in 2001. He compiled a list of 300 songs from the '70s, honed it down to 50 tunes delivered in whole or snippets, and shaped them into a musical tour of a decade marked by women's liberation, protests against the Vietnam War, smoke-ins, sit-ins, teach-ins and disco.

"It's a musical wade through the decade based on my recollections of the '70s," says Seeber, who used his experiences as a 20-something embracing the culture and changes of the period.

As evidence, he describes his 1971 passport picture: "I had long hair, wire-rim glasses, sideburns, army boots from the Army-Navy Store, and corduroy pants with huge bell bottoms," he says.

Seeber says the obvious and logical audience for 8-Track is those in the 42-to-64 age group who lived the era firsthand.

But it's also popular with people in their 20s and 30s, he says.

"I'm not sure why. But they are singing along," he says. "It's a very family-friendly show. We get kids born in this decade, and they know the words."

Seeber has also conceived and produced a similar revue, Beehive: the 60's Musical as well as the musical compilation, A Brief History of White Music.

Notice to 20-somethings: if you want to understand your parents, this is the show you have to see. Take, for example, the Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." Maybe that's how you got here.

The Campbell Theatre is located at 636 Ward Street in downtown Martinez, one block east of Main Street at the corner of Estudillo Street.

The Willows Theatre Company Daytime Box Office is located at 115 Tarantino Drive in Martinez, in the Kenney/CONCO Building. Hours are Monday - Friday, Noon - 5:00 pm. The theatre will-call window, located in the theatre lobby, opens one hour prior to each performance. For more information call (925) 798-1300 or visit our web site at www.willowstheatre.org.

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