By John R. Hall
Contributing Reporter for 100.9FM
Muskegon – Decades Rewind is a live stage musical which describes itself as “Your Music Your Memories Your Life.” It is all of that and more. The musical, which comes to Muskegon’s Frauenthal Center on Sunday, April 23rd, is a celebration of hit music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. And it is a labor of love for co-founders Peter Gatti and Mark Blinkhorn. Gatti is a former keyboardist and Blinkhorn is a former drummer in various bands.
“Mark and I wanted to take a break from the regular routine and do a show about the music of the three decades,” said Peter. “I think these are the three best decades of music and the best alternative to today’s music.”
Gatti said there a lot of things that inspired him to create the musical, which premiered in Florida and has now expanded nationwide. “I’m a 80s rocker, and like the songs from big name groups such as Boston and Queen,” he said. “But I also like the disco music and the dancing that came out of it.”
The show has received great reviews and takes its audience back to their younger days. “It’s all about the memories,” Peter added. “I’ve heard people say the Decades Rewind brought people to tears. That’s special.”
Peter said that the music that inspired his youth still draws him back in every day and he only listens to oldies radio stations. In fact, his 15-year-old son is a fan, too. “My son loves the oldies,” he added.
The show is not just high-energy dance and vocal numbers, it also slows down to treat the audience to classics like “Hey Jude” and “Drift Away.” In other words, there is something for everyone.
Decades Rewind goes beyond music, too – it is also about the history of the three decades. Video screens flash news videos of what happened in history while these songs were popular. “We want our audience to see a history of the 60s, 70s, and 80s,” Peter said.
Not only do audience members see living history unfolding in front of them, they can also interact with it. “In our last song, our vocalists go into the audience and encourage people to join in on the chorus of “Let the Sun Shine In”,” Peter added. “Our cast also comes out after the shows to meet and greet the audience. A lot of people want to wait around and get pictures of themselves with the cast.”
For music lovers of all ages, Decades Rewind is a show for the ages. Ticket information for the 7:00 p.m. show, along with a history of the show which includes links to videos, can be found at www.decadesrewind.com or www.startickets.com/events/item/decades-rewind or call 1-800-585-3737.
