Creativity, expression and talent are all around us, all the time. Finding inspiration to exercise such things is where things really matter. Sheri Denning, executive director for Warren Arts, had inspiration hit her in the form of musical production.
Doo Wop Sock Hop is an original Warren Arts production, written by Denning. Rehearsals for the musical have begun and the show is making its way to Park Theater this weekend. The shows start on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Sunday will hold another show at 2 p.m. Viewers are encouraged not to miss it, as it is a one-weekend production.
“It has never been on any stage other than the Warren Arts stage,” said Denning. “I call this production a celebration of the history of American music.” Denning noted the story goes back to the Doo Wop era of music, and that the artists who created Doo Wop music originated a brand new sound which had never been heard before.
“They used musical elements, and harmonies and things that had never been done before. They perfected those elements, and then other artists came along, of course, and picked it up. They changed things up and made it their own. This created more of what we hear today in American music,” she said.
Referring to the creators of Doo Wop, Denning said, “They came from all over the country. They were performing in basement clubs, back alleys and living rooms, everywhere across the country until folks started hearing them and putting them on the radio. They recorded and cut the music and made it available nationwide. Once that began, it exploded across the U.S., across the globe, really. There are some examples in the show of songs that show that. One song from the Cookies, called ‘Chains,’ was picked up by the Beatles. It was originally a Doo Wop song by a group of Black women who called themselves The Cookies.”
Denning is excited to celebrate the history of this music in the Doo Wop Sock Hop production. “This is so exciting for us. We began with the end in mind, so we knew we were going to play it at Warren Arts and then be able to play it at Park Theater. That helped us be able to create two unique shows,” said Denning. The performances at Warren Arts were more like a dinner theater experience, immersing the crowd. “What will happen at the Park Theater will be a very different event,” said Denning. “It is more of a fun concert type of environment. People will be encouraged to come up and dance in front of the stage or at the back on the mezzanine. There is a lot of audience involvement. It gives our singers and dancers a chance to perform on that big stage. A lot of our folks are new to this type of thing and they have never performed this way. Being able to be there in front of that big audience on that beautiful, historic stage is very exciting for everyone.”
Viewers are encouraged to come to the show dressed in their favorite Doo-Wop era clothes. Tickets are on sale now. Balcony tickets are $18 and main floor and mezzanine tickets are $22. Tickets can be purchased at warrenartstn.com, at the box office from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the week and at the door until the tickets are sold out.
Other shows coming up from Warren Arts include All Shook Up at Warren Arts on Aug. 4 - 6 and Aug. 18 - 20; The Little Mermen (Disney cover band) Aug. 12 at the Park Theater; Steel Magnolias at Warren Arts, Sept. 23 - Oct. 1; and an immersive Halloween experience called Horror Hollows at Warren Arts starting Oct. 5 and running every weekend in October and Halloween night.
