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Not Really A Musical, More Like A Concert, And Lots Of Fun

As I was enjoying the opening show at Ivoryton Playhouse, Everly, The Music of the Everly Brothers, I wondered, is this a musical or is it a concert? A cabaret show, perhaps?

I decided the show, which runs through Sunday, April 28, is less of a musical and more of a concert with some biography. However you classify it, you will have a good time. The audience the night I saw it was mouthing the lyrics or singing along; these were songs from their past—from high school, college, etc.

The Everly Brothers were a popular singing duo that many of us grew up with. We know their popular songs, some that they wrote, and some written by other people.

This show, written by the two performers, Eric Scott Anthony and Ben Hope, makes the case that the Everly Brothers were influential in the development of rock ‘n’ roll. The performance includes quotes from Paul McCartney, John Denver, and others about how they were influenced by them. This 90 to 95-minute show presents 26 songs from their catalog.

If you grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, you will certainly know many of their hits. They charted songs on many Billboard lists, including Pop and R & B. Who doesn’t know “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up, Little Susie,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” and others?

Hope and Anthony have good voices and can play the guitar; there are no characters per se and no plot. They don’t pretend to be characters; they are themselves. They make no attempt to look like the two brothers.

Yet, the result is an enjoyable evening that includes both music that many remember and an opportunity to learn more about the two artists who created it. At intermission, I overheard one audience member going down the list of songs and pointing out those he remembered and those that were new to him.

The Everly brothers’ story is very similar to the story of many other country western performers: growing up relatively poor in the Midwest, learning music from their father, and then escaping to Nashville, followed by struggles, before taking off. They toured with everybody from Johnny Cash to Buddy Holly on the buses that crisscrossed the country, particularly the South and Midwest. The performers shared stories and songs on the buses. When they became too popular for their original record label, they signed with Warner Brothers for a large advance.

The pressure for more hits and continued touring took a toll; marriages broke up, and both brothers turned in the early ‘60s to prescription drugs. Estrangement followedm with them only talking on stage. By 1973 they officially broke up; it wasn’t until 1983 that they reconciled.

Hope and Anthony have performed together over the years; this show started development as a pandemic project. They decided to create a show that utilized the close harmonies of the two brothers, or what some in the industry refer to as “blood harmonies.”

Over the winter, Ivoryton has made some improvements that were reflected in the show and bode well for the future. One was more movable and improved lighting. Perhaps more importantly, it added a better projection system. Highlights of the show were the scenic design by Ben Hope and the projections by Jessica Drayton and Jonathan White, who also did the lighting and sound design. At first, I wondered if the projections were simply going to be pictures of celebrities and headlines from the period, but they evolved into a variety of styles and images. What made them even more interesting was they were projected onto abstract shapes, some overlapping. The rain was so realistic that I expected to see it splashing onto the stage.

Everly, The Music of the Everly Brothers is enjoyable and nostalgic. It may not be a true musical, but it is fun.

For tickets, visit IvorytonPlayhouse.org.