The paper-thin story premise is five female friends who use the magazine Shout as the blueprint for how they should dress and act, including writing amusing letters to a not-very-informative advice columnist.
Former Vineland native and co-producer of the show, Robert Dragotta, admitted that much of the dialogue that puts a more poignant spin on the songs had to be eliminated to keep the off-Broadway hit within a casino-friendly 75 minute running time. Instead the songs themselves express the changing attitudes of the swinging sixties and do a bang-up job of it. There are a few comic quips in between songs that pay tribute to a landmark TV series of the era, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Musical highlights include Brooke Reams’ “To Sir With Love” and the song that sums up the show, “Those Were the Days.” Holly Burton does a nice version of “Son of A Preacher Man,” Georgia Hair lets it fly for “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me,” and all five ladies do an amusing song and dance to “Goldfinger,” with a few lyrical changes. Other songs that are included in the zippy show are “Don’t Sleep in the Subway,” “Georgie Girl,” “Windy,” “How Can I Be Sure,” “Alfie,” “Downtown,” “Color My World,” “Wishin’” and Hopin’,” “Sign of the Times” and “Shout.”
Shout! The Mod Musical runs Now–April 22, at Harrah’s Concert Venue; Showtimes: Sun.–Thurs., 8pm; Fri., Sat. 9pm. Tickets are $25. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, 1-800-736-1420.