Infectious 60s pop music keeps Delaware Theater's 'Sign of The Times' rocking

A candy-colored jukebox musical made from the pop songs of Petula Clark and other mid-60s singers is the latest production to strut across the stage at Delaware Theatre Co.

If "A Sign Of The Times," starring Broadway's Chilina Kennedy and written by mega-Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch, is received well, it may be another in a line of shows headed toward bigger stages and maybe even the Big Apple. 

The show juxtaposes the catchy songs with the hot issues of the day: racism, sexism, feminism and anti-war activity on a rapidly changing set that uses video images to put the reader into the city, the clubs and the offices of the day.

The show will be the theater's holiday offering instead of something more traditional like "A Christmas Carol."

"We try to make sure that we have an energetic offering around the holidays that is a fun night out for people to supplement the celebratory vibes of the holiday season," says Matt Silva, DTC's new managing director. "The music for the show is so well-known and a great opportunity for friends to gather and celebrate the soundtrack of their generation."

"A Sign of the Times" went into previews Nov. 28, opens Saturday, and plays until Dec. 23.

Here's what you ought to know about it.

It's funny

Some of the lines are just hilarious repartee; others play off our knowledge of what's going to happen in the future, like when one character complains about how hard it is to take a picture of yourself with a Polaroid camera.

And it's not just the script. Sometimes, the songs themselves are the guffaw-inducing punchlines. When the lead character says she's just met a man who is exactly what she expected a man from New York City to be, the three guys on the corner burst into the PERFECT doo-wop response. 

Why these songs? 

Chicago producer Richard J. Robin loved Petulia Clark, and he bought a catalog of the music she sang. He had just seen "Mamma Mia!," which is based on the song catalog of Abba, and had an idea for a story about a young woman who goes to New York in the middle of the turbulent '60s. He took the idea to Vilanch. 

DuPont Hotel decks its halls with edible display

Vilanch had always loved the pop music of that time, which often used clear, soaring vocals set to lush orchestrations.

"I always thought that music was very theatrical," Vilanch said. "Whenever I would hear her, I would think to myself, 'What show does this come from?' "

Not all the music is Clark's

When the production decided it needed more musical numbers, they focused on pop hits from 1964 and 1965. Among the songs those chose are The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" and Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made for Walking."

Sinatra's song frames the lead character's hunt for a job in the sexist "Mad Men" world of the 1960s New York, and "Clarksville" suckerpunches a surprising plot twist.

How'd they get a Broadway star?

Kennedy took time off from starring as Carole King in "Beautiful" on Broadway to do this story. She will return to "Beautiful" in January.

Kennedy has been working with "Sign of the Times" since it had its first reading. She thinks it's not only fun, but remains contemporary in its themes of racism and sexism, and she hopes it's headed to Broadway.

1960s issues resonate today

The show's director, Tony-nominated Gabriel Barre, and others point out that many of the issues addressed in the musical are still relevant and still fought about.

Marching for civil rights is reflected by marches for Black Lives Matter, he points out. And complaints about sexism has morphed into the Me Too Movement.  

Eggs Benedict and more at new First Watch restaurant

How could it end up on Broadway?

Theater owners from New York City will come to Wilmington see the show during its run, Silva says. That will help the owners gauge whether it could have a potential run on Broadway, and the producers decide if they need to do more work to get it there.

While this show has been retooled from the show done at the Goodspeed, it could be altered again in another production.

Having a show go to a bigger theater, or even Broadway, also does a lot for DTC.

"Enhanced musicals like 'A Sign of The Times' increase our visibility in the larger theater community," Silva says. "Shows like this also allow us a bigger show budget than we could normally afford. Additionally, producing new musicals early in their development means that we can benefit from the potential future financial successes of the show."

What's up with that set

Designed by New York designer Paul Tate dePoo III, it was built here in Delaware and is larger than many of DTC's sets. de Poo has designed operas, a show by Lady Gaga and the Broadway-bound productions of "Titanic," "Josphine" and DTC's 2016 "War of the Roses."

Actors move the pieces around, and have to precise about where they stand so they don't block the projections, and also where the pieces end up, or the projections won't hit the screens. 

Vilanch finds the end result fascinating, because DTC's audience/performance arrangement is different from the typical Broadway set. In most theaters, the audience looks up at the stage. DTC's "thrust stage" extends into the audience, which is sitting in stadium seating, looking down.

"Everybody has a great view of your bald spot," Vilanch jokes. "It is a challenge to design that kind of a show for that kind of a space."

It's hard not to break out singing

First, you know the songs. it seems like everybody knows the songs.

Second, it's all just so tempting: bright colors, bright music, fun dancing, glittery set. 

"During the final song of the show, 'Downtown,' the energy in the room is so infectious," Silva says. "The cast is belting out this well-known tune, the audience is clapping and dancing along, and the result is rare theatre magic."

Why use projections? Just because it's cheaper?

Projections are used to enhance the scenic elements, Silva says.

"The thought with this show is that the scenery places us squarely in the time period of the 60s and the projections serve as a reminder that we are also in there here and now of 2018," Silva says.

They're not cheap.

"Marrying the scenic and projection elements is a massive undertaking in regards to both time and cost," he says. "Projections are being utilized more and more as the technology continues to advance.

"I'm not sure I'd say that projections are the future of theatre, but they certainly open up a wide range of possibilities. It depends on the show and its needs." 

Where else have DTC shows gone

• "The Outgoing Tide" transferred to 59E59.

• "Because of Winn-Dixie" went to Alabama Shakespeare Festival and will have a production this summer at Goodspeed Musical Theatre.

• "Diner" may have its doors locked until "Waitress" closes on Broadway, so the two shows don't compete, even though they have very different stories. 

• "A Christmas Carol," which was a new adaptation by Patrick Barlow went off-Broadway to the Theatre at St. Clement's and then to London in 2015.

What songs will you hear?

First Act: "Who Am I?"; "I Only Want to Be With You;" "Round Every Corner;" "Who Am I/Color My World;) "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener;" "These Boots Are Made For Walking;" "I Know a Place;" "Rescue Me;" "Call Me;" "The Boy from New York City;" "If I Can Dream;" "Last Train to Clarksville."

Second Act: "Gimme Some Lovin';" "A Sign of the Times;" "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss);" "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love;" "Society's Child;" "Five O'Clock World;" "The In Crowd/Rescue Me;" "Baby The Rain Must Fall;" "You'd Better Come Home;" "Don't Sleep in the Subway;" "You Don't Own Me;" "Kiss Me Goodbye" and "Downtown."

If you go

WHAT: "A Sign of The Times," a new musical by Bruce Vilanch using pop music of the 1960s

WHERE: Delaware Theatre Co., 200 Water Street, Wilmington, Delaware

WHEN: Now through Dec. 23. 

TICKETS: $25 to $65.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 302-594-1100; www.delawaretheatre.org/

Contact Betsy Price at 302-324-2884 or beprice@delawareonline.com.