8 Track
The Sounds of the ‘70s
Winter Park Playhouse • Winter Park, Florida
Directed by Tay Anderson, Musical Direction by Christopher Leavey
by Carl F. Gauze
Ah, the ’70s! A world of hyperinflation, lingering angst over a war we lost, and the miracle of 8-bit video games! Living through a colorful but pixilated past wasn’t always that much fun, but like any self-respecting decade, there were a few bright points. Fashions tended toward polyester: hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and never stylish in-between. But time has aged this era of Reagan and gas shortages. We got CB-radio-wielding truckers and the great god disco. We danced the time warp at nights and listened to FM radio as we drove. And the decade was packed with hits.
Tonight’s rewind button is led by the multi-talented Bert Rodriguez, with Rachel Ihasz, Nyeshia Naomii, and Sahid Pabon. All are in constant motion and stunningly backlit by giant LED circles that look just like video game buttons. With forty+ hits, most songs are edited down to get us home at a decent hour. Back in the day we would have boogied all night, and now we smile at chorus lines we recall and hum under our breath. The powers that be relent at the end, and the audience creaks to their feet to join in a mass “hey na na, kiss him good bye.”
You cannot go wrong with a WPPH show. Shows remain constant and uncontroversial and allow us a relaxed look at our youth. The bad news, like an unpopular war and soaring inflation are buried where they should be, under the vinyl flooring of our basement rec rooms.
