Miss Daisy and Hoke will have driven off by the time that Greenbrier Valley Theatre opens its second production of the 2021 season. Five women will now take the stage and transport the theatre back to the 1960s with their performance in SHOUT! The Mod Musical. SHOUT! opened off-Broadway in 2004, nearly 30 – 40 years after most of the hit songs that are featured in the musical were released.

The Mod Musical. SHOUT! opened off-Broadway in 2004…

“There’s a lot of nostalgia, but there’s also a lot of entertainment,” said Matthew Scott Campbell, the Producing Artistic Director of the theatre. Featuring songs such as “Downtown,” “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” “Goin’ Back,” and of course “Shout!,” this show will have audience members grooving in their seats and feeling the urge to sing along.

The production was cast from all around the country…

Director Stephanie Harter Campbell loves jukebox musicals and is excited to create a “rock concert” feeling as well as to having an all-female cast featured on-stage. The production was cast from all around the country, and will feature a mix of talent who has performed at GVT in the past, alongside others who will be making their debut.

Patrick Summers, Lexington VA native, will head the music direction. Summers will be working with a mix of musicians that will feature some recognizable GVT talent, as well as first-time musicians to the theatre. One of the goals of the organization as they re-opened their doors after a prolonged closure was to be both comfortable and safe, but also to produce work that was comforting to audience members. “SHOUT! has a lot of music that is popular throughout the ages,” said Harter Campbell. “It’s an evening of fun, and great music.”

The production team has been hard at work creating an authentic 1960’s – 1970’s atmosphere for the show. From vintage costumes – each revolving around a specific color, to the lighting, and the set design. Inspiration has been drawn from famous wardrobe designers, vintage photographs, and other iconic moments to help fully immense everyone into the times.

SHOUT! opens August 20 and runs through September 4.

Combine the voices, tunes, costumes, lights and SHOUT! will be sure to take you back to the “Swinging Sixties.” Still, songs featured in the show have lived on well into today’s pop culture and will be prevalent to audience members who used to put a dime in the jukebox, as well as those who scroll through their digital music.

SHOUT! opens August 20 and runs through September 4. Tickets are $30 for general seating, $27 for senior citizens age 60 and above, and $20 for students. SHOUT! does contain some mature themes. Tickets are available online at the theatre’s website: gvtheatre.org or by calling the box office at (304) 645-3838

– Josh Lapping, HashtagWV #134. August 2021.