The Coverlettes Cover Christmas with a few new decorative boughs in Aurora Theatre’s current production. Artistic Director Tom Ross’ remounting of his holiday conception proves durable and refreshing. Three local rock artists excavate their material from the glorious U. S. Fifties. These ladies, all members of noted Bay Area bands, don their slinky sequined mini-dresses and giant bouffant hairdos to recollect the Christmas songs of the doo-wop era. The trio with a high tolerance for hairspray gives marvelously rousing interpretations of songs that were widely popularized decades ago. The ladies channel singing idols like Martha and the Vandellas.
On a seasonally decorated stage, backed by piano, bass and drums, they enthusiastically deliver the songs of such performers as Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree”), Jimmy Boyd (“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and their own softly harmonic take on the traditional carol with “We Three Queens of Orient Are.”
In a tightly coordinated show, Darby Gould of Jefferson Starship sings and dances with Carol Littleton and Katie Guthorn of Big Band Beat. Their lively vocalizations of familiar tunes range from “Leader of the Pack,” “Da Doo Run Run” and “Hanky Panky” to “Set Me Free,” “Silver Bells” and “White Christmas.”
They find the nut of doo-wop. The three women sensitively recreate an angelic, mellow style. These appealing, accomplished singers present well-known feel-good holiday music in subtly new ways.
The Coverlettes Cover Christmas continues through December 27 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($28) are available online at http://www.auroratheatre.org or by phone at (510) 843-4822.
For more details please visit www.doctortheatresbliss.com.
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