‘Light My Fire’ explores music in a time of upheaval - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida Studio Theatre focuses on music of Bob Dylan, The Doors, Rolling Stones and more in new cabaret revue

‘Light My Fire’: Developed by Rebecca Hopkins. Directed by Catherine Randazzo. Runs Wednesday through June 15, Florida Studio Theatre Court Cabaret, 1247 First St., Sarasota. $36-$39. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org

Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret takes another step in the Baby Boomers’ musical journey with “Light My Fire.”

The original musical revue, developed by FST Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins, delves into the music of the 1960s and 1970s during a time of cultural upheaval. The turbulent times are reflected in the music from artists including Bob Dylan, The Doors, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Beatles and Janis Joplin.

“We’re going to dig deeper into all of the different movements that made the lasting music that we have today, the reason why those songs are so iconic and why they will never fade away,” said director Catherine Randazzo, an FST associate artist.

The revue builds on last year’s popular cabaret show “The Wonder Years,” which chronicled the early musical years of the Baby Boomers in the 1950s and 1960s.

Seth Eliser, a Louisiana native who was featured in the 2018 production of “Once,” plays guitar and sings in the show. He grew up listening to the music on his parents’ cassette tapes.

“It’s definitely in my blood and in my spirit,” Eliser said. “I just can’t wait to tackle this show.”

“Wonder Years” star Alayna Gallo returns, and the cast is joined by newcomers Dale Obermark and drummer Marcus James. Gallo’s vocal range will again be on display.

“She’s the only female in the cast and it’s kind of a cool way to emulate the powerful female voices of that era,” Randazzo said. “She has such a great command of the way that the music is supposed to be presented but then she puts her own spirit and spin on it.”

Randazzo and Eliser have been working with keyboardist Jim Prosser on the arrangements for the show, finding the threads that connect the music and the story.

The artists of that era collaborated and fed off of each other’s creativity. Cultural upheaval was in full swing, with protests against the Vietnam War and for women’s and civil rights dominating the headlines of the day.

Covering such a large chunk of time is challenging, but that adds to the fun of tackling the 1960s and early 1970s, Eliser said.

“A lot has happened in that time,” he said. “It’s finding the bridge and the thread, the reasons these songs connect. So it’s doing that kind of work. It’s what makes this show special and makes what we’re doing exciting.”

The show opens with a lot of electric music then transitions to acoustic, in order to focus more on the message in the songs.

“It becomes more about the words and less about the emotion and the picture of what the public expects,’ Eliser said.

The intimate setting of the Court Cabaret is part of the appeal of the musical revue that is designed to touch the hearts of baby boomers and beyond.

The music is timeless, but for those who lived through the chaos that sparked so much change, the tunes are sure to conjure up more than a little nostalgia.

“It still tells the story of America and music in American and the people of America and how we keep growing as a people,” Randazzo said. “I think there’s a really important thread there that the audience is part of.”

Vicki Dean is a freelance writer based in Venice.

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