SIXTIES SUMMER OF LOVE

The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway is taking would-be hippies back to the time of peace, love and flower-power when they celebrate with Sixties Summer of Love until May 29.

What became known as “The Summer of Love” was a social phenomenon that occurred during summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood of San Francisco, creating a cultural and political rebellion. While hippies also gathered in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Washington DC, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and across Europe, San Francisco was the centre of the hippie revolution. It was a melting pot of music, psychoactive drugs, sexual freedom, creative expression, and politics. The Summer of Love became a defining moment of the 1960s, as the hippie counterculture movement came into public awareness. This unprecedented gathering of young people is often considered to have been a social experiment, because of alternative lifestyles that became common, both during the summer itself and during subsequent years.

The Summer of Love started musically with the release of The Beatles’ album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band on June 1, 1967, and closed with the Woodstock Music Festival in the summer of 1969. The Barnyard Theatre now presents a musical tribute that relives the days of The Beatles, Woodstock, swinging London and the west coast sound of San Francisco and California.

Featured in The Summer of Love is music from The Beatles; The Mammas and The Pappas; Jimi Hendrix; Creedence Clear Water Revival; Janis Joplin; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and many more. The diversity of the music from this golden era is mind blowing, and the show takes audiences on a long and winding road.

The song San Francisco became a signature tune of this era, followed by the West Coast sound with songs like Monday Monday, California Dreaming and let’s not forget the musical Hair! Then there is a tribute to The Woodstock Music Festival of August 1969 when five hundred thousand people gathered for three days of peace, love and music. Highlights of this festival include Joe Cocker’s With A Little Help From My Friends, and Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner and Purple Haze. Let’s not forget the San Francisco band Creedence Clear Water Revival (who also performed at Woodstock) who dominated the charts in 1969 with songs like Down On The Corner, Who’ll Stop The Rain, Proud Mary and Hey Tonight and many more. And what would the 60’s be without The Beatles hits like Hey Jude, Yellow Submarine, Give Peace a Chance and Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds?

The Barnyard has lined up a stellar cast to do this era the justice it deserves, and ex-Durbanite Andrew Webster will be leading the trip as host and on vocals. He is joined by vocalists Bongi Mthombeni, Lizaan Vermeulen and Kashiefa Blaauw. The rock-solid band is made up of Andy Murray (guitar and vocals), Calli Thomson (keyboards), Mark Freel (bass guitar), Chad Harbott (drums), Joanna Dazeley (saxophone) and Blackie Tempi (trumpet).

The Summer of Love is about the music and the cultural rebellion that changed our lives forever – so be sure to wear flowers in your hair and your bellbottoms because this is going to be one big 60’s party!

Tickets R125 pp from Wednesday to Saturday (R90 discounted specials every Tuesday night and Sunday matinee) For bookings and enquiries phone The Barnyard Theatre on 031 566 3045, e-mail gateway@barnyardtheatres.co.za or visit www.barnyardtheatres.co.za for more information.