The Spinners and Never Shout Never in Area Concerts; Stage 62 Running ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ (Sun., 2/14/16)

1) The Spinners, a male vocal and dance group who originated in the suburbs of Detroit, enjoyed considerable success in the ’70s with top 10 hits including “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “The Rubber Band Man,” (If they were from Pittsburgh it would be “The Gum Band Man”) and “I’ll Be Around.” In ’74, they teamed up with Dionne Warwick to produce the number one smash hit “Then Came You.” During the 1960s The Spinners were with Motown before switching to the Atlantic label in the ’70s. The Spinners still tour regularly and have one original Spinner remaining—Henry Fambrough, who has been in the band since its formation in 1954. That’s a lot of R&B. The beat goes on in a Sunday matinee at The Palace Theatre, with Eddie Holman opening. 3 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (RH)

 

2) Prolific. That’s one word to describe Never Shout Never’s frontman, Christofer Drew. Now 24, Drew, of Joplin, Missouri, began the Never Shout Never project when he was just 16. He and his band have released seven studio albums, plus a handful of EPs. (At least one of those EPs, Me & My Uke, showcases Drew’s ukulele prowess.) Originally a solo act—and stylized nevershoutnever!—Drew was part of that wave of musicians discovered on Myspace circa 2007. The touring band quickly became the studio band, one which has consistently bashed out poppy rock songs resplendent with hooks. Check out “Red Balloon” off their newest, 2015’s Black Cat. They’ve been a Vans Warped Tour mainstay for years, but that doesn’t mean Drew’s forgotten home. When a tornado struck Joplin in 2011, Never Shout Never posted a video on YouTube asking fans to donate to relief efforts. The video uses their song “Time Travel.” Never Shout Never will headline Mr. Smalls on Valentine’s Day. Metro Station, Jule Vera, Waterparks, and Get The Picture open. 6:30 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. (CM)

3) In the trade, children’s theater is called TYA (theater for young audiences), and normally Entertainment Central doesn’t cover it. We are making an exception for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,  (musical) by Shelly Markham and Judith Viorst, from the children’s book by Viorst. This musical is based on a children’s book that many current grownups enjoyed when they were little, and it is being put on by Stage 62, a company known for top-notch productions of adult musicals. So if you’re in the mood for some childhood throwback entertainment, here is a chance to see it done well. Alexander starts with our hero waking up to a bad hair day—last night’s chewing gum has gotten stuck in it—and things go amusingly downhill from there. The Stage 62 version is not the same as the recent movie that starred Steve Carell as Alexander’s dad. It is a full-fledged musical written by Judith Viorst, author of the original book, with Broadway composer Shelly Markham. 2 p.m. Last day. In the Music Hall at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library, 300 Beechwood Ave., Carnegie. (MV)

 

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Rick Handler

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