The Taffetas, played by (from left) Becca Vourvoulas, Brenda L. Tackett, Sara-Jane Bagent and Stephanie Knox, entertain at CCBC Dundalk with songs from the 1950s.

Matching girl group entertains with oldies  

by Heather Perlberg

    A fictitious 1950s girl group charmed a packed audience on Sunday as Dundalk Community Theatre presented The Taffetas, a musical revue about four sisters from Muncie, Ind., making their debut on national television.
    Conceived and vocally arranged by Rick Lewis and here directed by John Desmone, the show is made up of cutsey choreography, matching dresses and recognizable tunes like “Mr. Sandman,” a Taffetas number referred to as the “best copy of a copy,” the girls tell us with sheer enthusiasm.
    The sisters seem to harmonize with ease, giving a stellar performance. On Sunday, they remained in character through intermission, waving to audience members and basking in complements while coyly fanning themselves.  
    Presented as a Dumont Television Network show, the  revue features the four sisters: Kaye, Cheryl, Donna and Peggy.
    Kaye, played by veteran DCT actor Becca Vourvoulas, claims to be a natural blonde and leads Taffeta Chatter, a question-and-answer session to provide fans with details about the girls’ hobbies and idols.
    Brenda L. Tackett makes her DCT debut as Cheryl,  the violet-clad, auburn-haired sister whose role model is her mother. Sara-Jane Bageant plays Donna, a outspoken girl hoping to land a boy with a Chevy convertible.
    Peggy, dressed in pink and played by another DCT newcomer Stephanie Knox, shares with the audience her love of cooking, practicing short hand and her motto: “A smile is a crooked line that makes everything straight.”
    Popular period songs included “I’m Sorry,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Mockin’ Bird Hill,” “Smile,” “L.O.V.E,” and “Love Letters in the Sand.”
    Some numbers are sung solo or as a duet. Mentioning of travel leads into a medley of songs like “Istanbul, ”Tennessee Waltz,” “Sweet Song of India,” and “Allegheny Moon.”
    Lyrics in some tunes are separated by phrases like “achoo cha-cha,” “sh-boom, sh-boom” and “tweedlee, tweedlee, tweedlee-dum” as the girls pull American Flags out of their dress pockets and throw handfuls of confetti into the crowd.
    In between songs, the group makes 1950s references to angora sweaters, President Eisenhower, Sputnik, the Ed Sullivan Show – on which they long to land a spot – and the bunny hop.
    The choreography, arranged by Bambi Johnston, is amusing but appropriate including moves like umbrella twirling, curtsies, clapping and dancing in line formation.
    Spotlight on Music, the   fictitious weekly television show on which The Taffetas are performing interrupts  clusters of songs with brief commercial messages advertising Galaxy Beauty Products.
    The Taffetas: A Musical Journey Through the Fabulous Fifties is a hoot. The female quartet, supported by a quality three-piece band, is outstanding and molded so sincerely to the singing styles of the 1950s, the show could be in black and white.
    From the flashing “Applause” signs above the stage to the color coded outfits and matching cropped curly hair-dos, the DCT production takes its audience back in time with familiar songs and merry melodies.

‘The Taffetas: A Musical Journey Through the Fabulous Fifties’

•   What: current production at CCBC Dundalk, 7200 Sollers Point Road in Building K, through Nov. 8.
•   When: performances Friday through Sunday. Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. on Sunday.
•   How much: Tickets $22 ($19 for seniors and $14 for students or DCT actors).
•   Info, tickets: 443-840-2787.