WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Take a musical journey back to a time when folk music met rock music and gave birth to a whole new sound that was danceable, singable and oh, so romantic when the University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department at Missouri State University-West Plains presents the national tour of “California Dreaming.”
The performance is set for 7 p.m. March 27 in the West Plains Civic Center theater. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Children age 13 and under will be admitted free, as will students with a BearPass ID. Tickets can be purchased at the civic center box office 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or by phone at 417-256-8087.
“California Dreaming” celebrates that brief moment in the mid-1960s through early 1970s when American youth migrated to California by the millions and transformed pop culture forever, organizers said. Well-groomed folk musicians grew out their hair, plugged in their Fenders and Rickenbackers and caused the radio to sizzle with tight harmonies and dreamy lyrics.
The peformance features the music of groups like the Mamas and the Papas, the Beach Boys, the Fifth Dimension, the Byrds, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Their songs, such as “What a Day for a Daydream,” “I Get Around,” “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Our House,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “Little GTO,” “Good Vibrations” and “California Dreamin’” defined the era and introduced the world to the good vibrations of love, peace and summertime fun.
The show is produced by Springer Theatricals, the national touring arm of the Springer Opera House, a 143-year-old National Historic Landmark theatre in Columbus, Ga. The Springer also is the State Theatre of Georgia and produces a year-round schedule of plays and musicals. It is home to the Springer Theatre Academy, the largest program for the training of young actors in the southeast. Springer Theatricals has one of the nation’s busiest touring schedules, performing in more than 60 cities every year.
“We are excited to bring this fabulous stage show to our great audiences here in West Plains,” said U/CP Theater and Events Coordinator Emily Gibson. “This show is filled with music that provided the soundtrack to a generation, and has been passed on to generations since. We hope everyone comes out to be part of the fun and nostalgia this show will certainly deliver.”
For more information about the “California Dreaming” performance, contact the U/CP Department office at 417-255-7966. For more information about programs provided by the U/CP Department, visit http://wp.missouristate.edu/ucp/.