Laurie Farquhar
Folk music returns to the Renaissance Theater this spring when ShowTime presents We’ll Sing in the Sunshine, a new musical revue celebrating this unique American genre.
Three years ago, ShowTime’s production of This Land is Your Land provided a brief history of American folk music from the 1950s and 60s. This new revue, director and writer Dave Silverstein says, will highlight an incident in 1961 in which folksingers and New York City officials clashed over the musicians’ right to sing in a public space.
Sometimes known as the Folk Riot, this protest involved singers and musicians who met every Sunday afternoon in Washington Square Park. After 17 years of peaceful weekly gatherings near the arch, the city parks department decided the performers were no longer allowed to sing there, and the police were called in to clear the park. Following the “riot,” the folk singers held protest concerts at nearby venues for the next several weeks until they were finally allowed back into Washington Square Park.
We’ll Sing in the Sunshine will showcase songs by well-known folk musicians, such as the Kingston Trio, the Weavers, and Mary Travers, as well as pop singers who frequented the park, including Buddy Holly and Carly Simon. Most of the music will be live, played by members of the cast, and will feature a variety of instruments, such as banjos, guitars, keyboards, and a harp. It is also a large cast with almost 50 singers and dancers, and Dave is thrilled that five of the cast members are new to PebbleCreek. Several of the singers are returning to performing after a long absence.
We’ll Sing in the Sunshine will run six nights from Monday, April 4 through Saturday, April 9. Tickets go on sale in early March, and more information about how to purchase tickets will be available soon.
PebbleCreek audiences loved the first folk music revue with its familiar songs and audience participation. This sequel promises to be even more high energy with new songs and voices, plus a look at an event that may have sparked a surge in folk music’s popularity.