Members of Turtle Creek Chorale will be wearing their standard black tuxedos for their ‘70s concert, but keep an eye on the footwear. (Photo courtesy of Turtle Creek Chorale)
Play that funky music
The Turtle Creek Chorale finds its groove in the ’70s
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
The Turtle Creek Chorale is taking audiences to Funkytown. With everything from classic ballads to disco anthems, the Turtles are going back in time for their That ’70s Show concert at McFarlin Auditorium this weekend. And this throwback show sounds less like a chorale show than it does a party.
“If you’re expecting to come and be wowed by the most emotionally staggering music you’ve ever heard, this is the wrong show,” admitted artistic director Sean Baugh. “This show was purely built to be fun. But there are some tearful moments — because we are the Turtle Creek Chorale.”
This may also be the first concert where “Sean’s Rules” are meant to be broken — or at least bent a bit. Baugh has two rules for his shows, which he mostly reminds audiences of during the holiday concerts.
What are those two rules? “Have fun, and don’t sing along,” Baugh said. “Nobody pays to hear audience members sing.”
But this weekend, he’s going to be a bit lenient: “This may be our first sing-along concert,” he said.
Yep. TCC fans will be invited to sing with the chorale on select songs for this performance.
Rule-bending, disco music — Baugh says this show is kind of taking him out of his box but in the best ways.
“This is probably the lightest you’ll hear from me,” he said. “It’s not my normal style of programming. I like the dramatic, heavy shows with a message. But this is forcing me to understand that levity and joy are just as important.
“We’re having a good time and a lot of these guys are wallowing around in a giant pool of nostalgia.”
That’s for sure. Longtime member Tom Osborne lived through the decade of the ’70s, and reliving that music has been nothing but enjoyable for him as TCC has prepared for this concert.
“I’m 67, and I’m really excited to relive that time through these songs,” Osborne said.
Members were asked to contribute song ideas for the show, and one of Osborne’s suggestions was selected — which naturally made it one of his favorite parts of the concert.
“I submitted ‘Close to You’ by the Carpenters,” he said. “That song really spoke to me because it was the first song that I imagined the other part as a guy when I was 15. And then I ended up dating a guy who looked like what I imagined.”
The decade doesn’t only bring up those personal feelings for Osborne. He recalls the cultural impact of the ’70s as well: “There was a mass appeal from a lot of that music. Disco was certainly the start of a new era, and it changed how people presented themselves,” he said. “I just take a lot of pleasure in it.”
Jim Woods is feeling pretty groovy, too. He also grew up in the ’70s, so this music is resonating deeply for him, taking him back in time.
“It’s almost a time capsule [of] maybe a more innocent time,” Woods said. “It was a time of self-discovery and first loves, and I’m just excited about this show. It’s been extremely refreshing.”
Scattered among the up-tempo songs are a few ballads, and for Woods, it’s a chance for the TCC to really show off.
“That’s one reason I love this chorale. We can make a simple love ballad like Melissa Manchester’s ‘Don’t Cry Out Loud’ and make it soar with the voices of over 200 men in harmony,” he said. “It’s really breathtaking.”
The show will also feature a tribute to the recently-passed Olivia Newton-John. As Baugh mentioned, there are some emotional moments, but then there’s also the signature ’70s dance beats: “We do have a 25-minute disco medley featuring our dance ensemble Sound Bytes,” Baugh said.
TCC members have created a whole dance team and will be performing throughout the show.
The Turtles will present in their standard black tuxedos, but they get to join in on the drag of it all. Audiences may see just the formality — until the singers get to their feet.
“They are wearing whatever ’70s footwear they want,” Baugh said. “Dancing, costumes — it’s all over the top. We’re singing Motown, Elton John, Carpenters; we have about 40 songs in about an hour-and-a-half.
“We are just having silly ridiculous fun with this.”
That ’70s Show will be presented at McFarlin Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at TurtleCreekChorale.com.
