Songbirds of the 70s Channel Iconic Singer-Songwriters

OUR WEBSITE WGCU DOT ORG. THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ARTS SCENE IS BOOMING AS SEASONAL ARE CHOSEN, TRAVELING BROADWAY PERFORMANCES HAVE THE CHANCE TO SHINE IN THE AREA. SOME OTHER VENUES ARE BEGINNING TO SHOWCASE WHAT THEY OFFER AS WELL IN SARASOTA CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON A 57 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT TO ESTABLISH AN EIGHT-STORY ARTS COMPLEX AT THE SITE OF THE CURRENT FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE. THE NEW BUILDING WILL HAVE 3 THEATERS AND EVEN HOUSING FOR PERFORMERS. BUT AS CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES, THE SHOW WILL STILL BE GOING ON. >> WE ARE JOINED BY WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL. >> AND TOM, YOU HAVE TOLD US NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT HOW MANY CHOICES WE HAVEN'T COMMUNITY. >> AND EQUITY THEATERS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WE HAVE 35. IT'S NORMALLY VERY BUSY. >> WHAT IS LOOKING LIKE THIS WEEK? >> WELL, THIS WEEK, THEY'RE ONLY 13 SHOWS ON THE BOARDS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. THE NEWEST IS A STUDENT PRODUCTION OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S INTO THE WOODS. IT OPENS JULY 30TH. THE PLAYERS CIRCLE THEATER. THERE'S A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT OF THE LIGHTNING THIEF, THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL BY FORT MYERS, STATER SUMMER INTENSIVE CAMPERS. AND ORLANDO'S IMPROV TROUPE FORGOTTEN BROADWAY IS THAT FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE NOW THEY ONE LAST YEAR, SARASOTA IMPROV FESTIVAL. THERE'S NO FESTIVAL THIS YEAR BECAUSE FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE IS BUILDING A NEW EIGHT-STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DOWNTOWN SARASOTA. BUT FORGOTTEN BROADWAY WILL BE IN TOWN FOR SHOWS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND THEY'RE ALSO OFFERING A COUPLE OF IMPROV WORKSHOPS. NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE IT. >> FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE LAST WEEK FOR A DIFFERENT SHOW. I WAS. >> I MET WITH SAMANTHA DUVAL VICTORIA BOLAND AND METAL AND MAKE YOU ABOUT THEIR CABARET SHOW SONGBIRDS OF THE 70'S. THE PERFORMING HITS WRITTEN AND RECORDED BY FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITERS WHO CHANGED THE SOUND OF POP MUSIC IN THE 1970'S. CAROLE KING, JONI MITCHELL, CARLY SIMON. HELEN REDDY, LINDA RONSTADT, STEVIE NICKS, ALL SHARED PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THAT RESONATED WITH AUDIENCES SO MUCH THAT THEIR MUSIC IS STILL RELEVANT TODAY. AND THEY PAVE THE WAY FOR TODAY'S RECORDING ARTIST FROM PAYING CALLS AND BILLIE EILISH TO CHAPPELL ROAN GRACIE ABRAMS AND OLIVIA RODRIGO. THE SONGBIRDS ARE INVITING AUDIENCES THROUGH LIVE THE MUSIC. THEY GREW UP WITH. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. >> AND WELCOME. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME. >> WE'RE TAKING YOU ON A JOURNEY. SAMANTHA DUVAL IS ONE OF 3. >> SONGBIRDS OF THE 70'S. >> AND THE JOURNEY SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IS A TRIP BACK TO A TIME WHEN FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITERS TRANSFORMED THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FROM SPECTACLE. >> 2 INTROSPECTIVE STORYTELLING THAT ADDRESSED LOVE, HEARTBREAK, INDEPENDENTS AND EMPOWERMENT FROM A PERSONAL FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE. SOME ARE METAL AND THE YOU TELLS US WHAT AUDIENCES CAN EXPECT. WE HOPE THAT THEY RELIVE THE MUSIC WITH US. THEY DON'T JUST HEAR THE MUSIC, BUT >> THEY REMEMBER THE CAR. THEY WERE DRIVING WHEN THEY FIRST HEARD THIS ON THE RADIO OR THEY REMEMBER WHO THEY WERE DATING AT THE TIME. IT'S OUR JOB TO BRING THEM ON THE JOURNEY WITH US AND WE FEEL THAT ENERGY EVERY NIGHT. >> WHERE WERE YOU THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD STEVIE NICKS SAYING THIS AND THAT. >> AND THEN THEY CAN CHANGE AND HAS THE NIGHT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW. >> THE SONGBIRDS ARE NOT JUST SEEING US TELL JACK SONGS FROM A BYGONE ERA WHAT DISTINGUISHES CABARET FROM A JUKEBOX MUSICAL OR REVIEW SAYS VICTORIA BALL AND IS THE HEARTFELT EMOTION THEY BRING TO THE STAGE >> IT'S TRULY US AS HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE FEELING THE MUSIC'S SO DEEPLY THAT ALLOWS US TO HE CHOKED UP ON STAGE AND THE AUDIENCE IS RIGHT THERE TO EXPERIENCE THAT WITH YOU. AND IT REALLY, REALLY TRANSCENDS INTO THEIR EXPERIENCE. SO I LOVE THAT ABOUT THE COVER EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT IS SO INTIMATE. I FEEL LIKE I CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH EVERY PERSON IN THE ROOM AND THE LYRIC THAT I'M SINGIN MIGHT MEAN SOMETHING. DIFFERENT TO THIS PERSON TO THIS PERSON TO THIS PERSON AND FOR THEM TO WALK AWAY FEELING LIKE THEY'RE LEAVING WITH A PIECE OF A ME PERSONALLY AND BUT THEN ALSO THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF SOME BIRDS OF THE 70'S. IT'S REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL. >> LIKE WHEN MCHUGH SINGS, JANIS JOPLIN'S ME AND BOBBY MCGEE MATALIN JUST IN AND BOBBY MCGEE AND NOBODY ELSE. >> CAN DO. IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY IS. WHERE I HAVE TO GO TO A VERY SPECIFIC PLACE BECAUSE IT'S JUST SUCH A RANGE OF EMOTION IN THAT SOME. IT'S HOPE IT'S EXCITEMENT. IT'S DEVASTATION THAT HEARTBREAKING. IT'S EXCITING TO SING IT. IT'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS THAT WANTS TO SING GOD IN THE GUY AND IT'S JUST ME WITH A GUITAR, WHICH IS WHERE I STARTED AS A KID BOLAND WHO HAS BEEN BASED IN NASHVILLE FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS. >> CHANNELS THAT SAME QUANTUM OF EMOTION WHEN SHE PERFORMS BARRACUDA. >> AND >> WILSON WROTE THAT SONG AFTER HEART RECORD LABEL CIRCULATED THE STORY THAT SHE AND HER SISTER WERE INVOLVED IN AN INCESTUOUS RELATIONSHIP JUST TO CREATE BUZZ. >> THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THOSE POSITIONS BEFORE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS A SONGWRITER. AND AS A SOLO ARTIST WHERE THEY'RE AT THE RECORD INDUSTRY HAS NOT BEEN KIND. TIMMY AND I CAN PUT MYSELF IN THOSE SHOES. PERFORM THAT SONG FROM THE PLACE OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH STEP INTO THIS MOMENT OF. COMPLETE FEMALE. GRIT AND POWER. AND THERE'S THERE'S A RAGE IN IT. BUT IT'S A CONTROLLED RAGE AND IT FOR ME, IT FEELS ESPECIALLY EMPOWERING AS A WOMAN TO YOU PLAY THAT. AND SEE THE AUDIENCE RESPONSE. >> LOVE THAT. THE 70'S WERE ALSO A TRANSITIONAL DECADE FOR THE JAMES BOND FRANCHISE. >> SO THIS ONE'S EVEN GASP FOR AIR. >> NOBODY AND WHERE. >> CARLY SIMON DID THIS, BUT IT'S A IT'S A BOND SEGMENT OF OUR SHOW. SO WE EACH DO A DIFFERENT BOND SONG. AND THIS ONE'S MINE. WHILE MCCUE SINGS. NOBODY DOES IT BETTER FROM THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. >> DUVAL PERFORMS THE THEME SONG FOR SEAN CONNERY'S FINAL DOUBLE '07 FILM. I AM A BIT OF A GOOFBALL AND I FEEL LIKE I GET TO SHOW THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. >> IT'S JUST A BIG, DRAMATIC NUMBER. AND I'M I'M ACTUALLY LAYING. >> LAYING ON THE COUCH FOR THE ENTIRE NUMBER. AND I'M WEARING THIS INSANELY GORGEOUS DIAMOND COVER DRESS. AND I JUST. >> I LOVE GETTING TO PLAY THAT CHARACTER AND THE DRAMA AND EXCITEMENT OF IT. >> YOU CAN'T PAY HOMAGE TO THE 70'S WITHOUT MENTIONING TAPESTRY. CAROLE KING'S BREAKOUT ALBUM IT'S BEEN 15 WEEKS AT NUMBER ONE, SOLD OVER 30 MILLION COPIES AND WON 4 GRAMMY AWARDS. AND WE ALL CRUISING THIS ONE. SO SAM HERE AND THE TREES HERE. >> IT'S A NICE MOMENT THAT WE CONNECT. CAROLE KING WROTE THAT SONG BECAUSE SHE WAS AT A JAMES TAYLOR SHOW AND HE WAS SINGING FIRE AND RAIN AND THEN FIRE AND RAIN. THERE'S A LYRIC THAT SAYS AND LONELY TIMES WHEN I COULD NOT FIND A FRIEND AND THAT SPARKED HER TO GO RIGHT. YOUVE GOT A FRIEND. >> I LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC AND THE LYRICS AND WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO TELL A STORY. AND I LIKE THAT. YOU CAN BREAK THE 4TH WALL. I LOVE THAT. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THE AUDIENCE AND ENGAGE WITH THEM. SEE THE AND IN SNOW IN THE HANDS. >> THAT'S THE JOURNEY. YOU GUYS ARE. SAMANTHA DUVAL, VICTORIA BALL AND IN MARYLAND MCCUE AND IT ALL HAPPENS IN THE INTIMACY OF THEIR LIVING ROOM IN THE COURT CABARET AND FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE. SOME BIRDS IN THE 70'S PLACE TO SEPTEMBER 13