The Coverlettes Cover Christmas
Cover band interpretations frequently provide new insight to the original works. Local rock band artists “The Coverlettes” dig up their material from the glorious days of the late Fifties. This trio, all members of noted Bay Area contemporary bands, don their slinky sequined mini dresses and giant bouffant hairdos to recollect the Christmas songs of the doo-wop era, a style of heavily synchronized stage choreography and group harmonizing. They pay tribute to such singing idols as The Shirelles, The Chantelles and Martha and the Vandellas. Aurora’s Artistic Director Tom Ross has remounted his conception for this year’s holiday season show The Coverlettes Cover Christmas with a few new boughs and decorations. On a seasonally decorated stage, backed by a trio on piano, bass and drums, the three ladies with a high tolerance for hairspray give marvelously rousing interpretations of rock Christmas songs that were widely popularized by such performers as Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree”), Jimmy Boyd (“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” with a heavy rock beat, like The Ronettes' top-40 hit) and their own softly harmonic take on the traditional carol with “We Three Queens of Orient Are.”
In a lively, non-secular show, Darby Gould of Jefferson Starship sings and dances with Carol Littleton and Katie Guthorn of the twelve-piece rock and soul band Big Band Beat. Their harmonized vocalization of familiar tunes is exquisitely rendered with no missed notes or inappropriate vocal stretches. When not choralising they swap off lead parts; each one has a strong, distinctly different performance personality. Their occasional solos demonstrate their professional versatility as they merrily deliver classics. The artfully enacted song selections range from “Leader of the Pack,” “Da Doo Run Run” and “Hanky Panky” to “Set Me Free,” “Silver Bells” and “White Christmas.”
In this holiday show, the trio sings perennial favorites for a family audience, while wearing provocatively tight-fitting mid-thigh gowns and moving suggestively in traditional rock and roll blocking. This is an intimate show with no dramatic staging techniques – such as Aurora’s Artistic Director Tom Ross has paid ample attention to in typical productions. The Coverlettes sing together as a group in a rock choreography style with well-coordinated arm movements and hip sways. The untrained voices and "garage" sound of 1950s recordings are addressed in these women’s performance, and their coy subtext speaks loudly of sexual desire. Their sensuous undulations while performing “Santa Baby” leave no question about what that chimney means.
The production seeks – and finds – the nut of the doo-wop style, actually improving on the melodic style of blended pop. The lyrical innocence of the genre, combined artfully with the yearning emotional directness of gospel singing and rhythm and blues comes through forcefully from these sexy ladies. The simple and guileless lyrics enhance their demure combination of girl-next-door wholesomeness and torrid vamp. The three women sensitively recreate the angelic, mellow style of more superficial musical forms. With a subtle understanding of the musical style, they have completely rendered the seminal event in the history of Twentieth Century pop music, the merging of R & B into rock and roll, without diluting its power. In this show you will find well-known feel-good holiday music presented in subtly new ways by appealing, accomplished singers.
The Coverlettes Cover Christmas continues through December 27 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($28) are available online at http://www.auroratheatre.org or by phone at (510) 843-4822.
In a lively, non-secular show, Darby Gould of Jefferson Starship sings and dances with Carol Littleton and Katie Guthorn of the twelve-piece rock and soul band Big Band Beat. Their harmonized vocalization of familiar tunes is exquisitely rendered with no missed notes or inappropriate vocal stretches. When not choralising they swap off lead parts; each one has a strong, distinctly different performance personality. Their occasional solos demonstrate their professional versatility as they merrily deliver classics. The artfully enacted song selections range from “Leader of the Pack,” “Da Doo Run Run” and “Hanky Panky” to “Set Me Free,” “Silver Bells” and “White Christmas.”
In this holiday show, the trio sings perennial favorites for a family audience, while wearing provocatively tight-fitting mid-thigh gowns and moving suggestively in traditional rock and roll blocking. This is an intimate show with no dramatic staging techniques – such as Aurora’s Artistic Director Tom Ross has paid ample attention to in typical productions. The Coverlettes sing together as a group in a rock choreography style with well-coordinated arm movements and hip sways. The untrained voices and "garage" sound of 1950s recordings are addressed in these women’s performance, and their coy subtext speaks loudly of sexual desire. Their sensuous undulations while performing “Santa Baby” leave no question about what that chimney means.
The production seeks – and finds – the nut of the doo-wop style, actually improving on the melodic style of blended pop. The lyrical innocence of the genre, combined artfully with the yearning emotional directness of gospel singing and rhythm and blues comes through forcefully from these sexy ladies. The simple and guileless lyrics enhance their demure combination of girl-next-door wholesomeness and torrid vamp. The three women sensitively recreate the angelic, mellow style of more superficial musical forms. With a subtle understanding of the musical style, they have completely rendered the seminal event in the history of Twentieth Century pop music, the merging of R & B into rock and roll, without diluting its power. In this show you will find well-known feel-good holiday music presented in subtly new ways by appealing, accomplished singers.
The Coverlettes Cover Christmas continues through December 27 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($28) are available online at http://www.auroratheatre.org or by phone at (510) 843-4822.