Rock & Roll Revival X - Redux

Editor's note: the following is a story from Patch contributor Angela Lauterbach.

Once the lights came up on stage, I must have run flat-out up and down the hallway that runs alongside the theater about 30 times. A few times I passed Mr. Ray Coudret, walking purposefully and with focus between his backstage and house perches. Though he may not have been pacing the hall, his baby was being born.

Rock and Roll Revival X “Take a Ride” opened to a full house on March 8, 2013 and played to standing rooms only on the 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th and the 16th, the closing show. The sellouts were well-earned.

Teamwork and determination were instrumental in making this year’s Rock and Roll Revival a true triumph. Ensemble casts and multiple numbers in the musical review made for an energized backstage. From where I stood in the wings, I saw many groups gather in what reminded me of team huddles before they headed out on stage.

The reheasals were plentiful and thorough enough that the players all knew where to stand for scene changes and the stagehands were on-deck when costumes had to be switched on the fly in the wings. I’ve been backstage at many a production and this level of organization was reminicent of efforts I’ve seen at the Dallas Theater Center. The polish on opening night was impressive.

Impressive is a word I am going to use a few times in this article. I’ll let my second use be in application to my description of the stage set. A massive television set with the “screen” turned into the band members. The console set, a cue to the era spaninng 1950 to 1985, was designed in such a way to remind the audience of shows like Lawrence Welk, Hullabaloo and Shindig. These were the stages that launched many a rock or pop band’s career in the day. The entire television was at least (I estimate) 35 feet tall. Built by hand, it was “supposed to point you to ideas rather than give you an exact replica.” Mr. Ray Coudret explained.

The exacting came soon: Each song featured voices, dance, costuming, make-up and a musical choice that brought every aspect of what it is to perform. Mr. Coudret said that all the performers really stepped up, but that some that grew as artists and castmembers were Will Maroquinn-Hasslett who was featured in “Bits and Pieces”, Jenna Dixon who “landed a lead lead this year. Her perseverance paid off and is indicative of the value of reaching for your goals.” He went on to list keyboardists Ben Wang and Gabriel Sparby. I found the rendition of Henri Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” enchanting. Also noted were Jane Ludwig and Emma Thompson who Coudret calls “transformed” singers and dancers who “lit up the stage”. Finally Coudret give kudos to Julia Knutson. “She exemplifies every cast member because she worked on her song every night to perfect it, finally hitting it from beginning to end just a day before we opened the show.”

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for bassists and guitarist. This year’s show was well-heeled with Beau Mansfield at the axe. Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” was no match for his abilities, and it must be said, The Stray Cats, should they need a guitarist, might want to call him up. “Rock This Town” did.

Speaking of soft spots, Jenny Hargis wowed me to no end. Between the song choice, the dress, the confidence, the absolute voice control I was in tears. This was not the same girl I met in August of last year. Also, I had no idea Nicole Traxler was such a great dancer. I suppose juggling a soccer ball will do that for one’s foot-work.

To mention some performers specifically doesn’t mean that others didn’t shine just as bright. Coudret told me that “every single person involved with Rock & Roll Revival gave an immense effort and the result was WAY bigger than the sum of the individuals. It was truly uplifting.”

The show has wrapped until 2015. I doubt, though, that anybody will forget about this year or fail to look forward to the next show. An important point was made by Coudret during our correspondence, and it bears repeating. I asked him, “How do you top this?” He explained, “We spent a lot of time getting the kids to focus on being their very best every time we rehearsed. Your best is relative to where you were yesterday and how much you can grow. In that same way, each year's show should be about growth.” He’s right. That is what I was seemed most impressive to me: How much the kids have changed and grown in just a few months.

I was also aware of the importance of another tenet of Coudret’s philosophy regarding the show. He explained, “Each year's show needs to be left in our collective memory for what it brings to the people involved. To compare from show to show is unfair to the people who have put their heart and soul into it each year. Each version needs to stand on its own just as each performance needs to stand on its own merits. That is what I will take from this experience.”

“The set is down, the lights and sound are hauled away, the stage is empty and dark. Rock & Roll Revival X is now just an incredible memory…” –Ray Coudret, Facebook Status, Sunday, March 17, 2013.

Indeed, my memories of the performance have become my favorite daydreams.