Enjoy classic tunes at ivoryton playhouse's theatrical concert experience, Everly
By Kiersten Bjork (April 5, 2024)
Everly at Ivoryton Playhouse is a charming evening of music featuring first-rate performers singing the timeless Everly Brothers songs you know and love. It features two actors, Eric Scott Anthony and Ben Hope, who sing through an impressive list from the Everly Brothers discography, interspersing stories, history, and fun facts from the lives and careers of the famous duo. With iconic songs like “Claudette,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Let It Be Me,” “Wake Up, Little Susie,” and many more, it’s the perfect show for anyone who loves that classic Everly Brothers sound, and anyone looking to spend an evening (or matinee) enjoying some good music.
Everly at Ivoryton Playhouse is a charming evening of music featuring first-rate performers singing the timeless Everly Brothers songs you know and love. It features two actors, Eric Scott Anthony and Ben Hope, who sing through an impressive list from the Everly Brothers discography, interspersing stories, history, and fun facts from the lives and careers of the famous duo. With iconic songs like “Claudette,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Let It Be Me,” “Wake Up, Little Susie,” and many more, it’s the perfect show for anyone who loves that classic Everly Brothers sound, and anyone looking to spend an evening (or matinee) enjoying some good music.
Ben Hope and Eric Scott Anthony in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Eric Scott Anthony and Ben Hope in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Anthony and Hope can do it all! The co-stars also make up the writing team and most of the production/creative team, in addition to their work live on stage. Hope serves as director and scenic designer, while Anthony is the music director and costume designer, and together they have written this musical tribute to the legacy of Don and Phil Everly.
On stage, Anthony and Hope are a dynamic duo. Both possess wonderful voices that serve this music particularly well. They sing the country/rock/pop/rockabilly tunes with expert skill. The harmonies are clean and tight, their voices blend beautifully, and they have great chemistry. Both are also talented guitarists, and they accompany themselves for the duration of the piece.
Between songs, Anthony and Hope tell stories about the brothers’ careers and personal lives, taking the audience from the experience of recording the first record to the big concerts, from the touring to the personal struggles. Overall, both actors are strong storytellers. The information being shared is interesting and engaging. However, Everly walks a fine line between bio-musical and tribute concert, and I found that the storytelling between songs tended to slow the piece down too much. Everly is reminiscent of the blockbuster bio-musicals like Jersey Boys, seen at Ivoryton last season, or MJ, currently playing on Broadway. It seems like it has the potential to reach the scale of those shows. However, being only a two-hander, it lacks the ability to fully dramatize the stories between songs as those musicals do. The marketing materials have referred to Everly as a “theatrical concert,” and “musical extravaganza,” but in the curtain speech it was referenced as a “musical.” As a tribute concert, as a “theatrical concert,” this piece really succeeds. It celebrates the lives of these musicians and features dozens of very well-sung songs. However, it doesn’t yet engage me fully under the label of “musical.” This piece definitely has a lot of potential, either as a concert experience, or as a musical, but I came out at the end not sure which it was intended to be.
On stage, Anthony and Hope are a dynamic duo. Both possess wonderful voices that serve this music particularly well. They sing the country/rock/pop/rockabilly tunes with expert skill. The harmonies are clean and tight, their voices blend beautifully, and they have great chemistry. Both are also talented guitarists, and they accompany themselves for the duration of the piece.
Between songs, Anthony and Hope tell stories about the brothers’ careers and personal lives, taking the audience from the experience of recording the first record to the big concerts, from the touring to the personal struggles. Overall, both actors are strong storytellers. The information being shared is interesting and engaging. However, Everly walks a fine line between bio-musical and tribute concert, and I found that the storytelling between songs tended to slow the piece down too much. Everly is reminiscent of the blockbuster bio-musicals like Jersey Boys, seen at Ivoryton last season, or MJ, currently playing on Broadway. It seems like it has the potential to reach the scale of those shows. However, being only a two-hander, it lacks the ability to fully dramatize the stories between songs as those musicals do. The marketing materials have referred to Everly as a “theatrical concert,” and “musical extravaganza,” but in the curtain speech it was referenced as a “musical.” As a tribute concert, as a “theatrical concert,” this piece really succeeds. It celebrates the lives of these musicians and features dozens of very well-sung songs. However, it doesn’t yet engage me fully under the label of “musical.” This piece definitely has a lot of potential, either as a concert experience, or as a musical, but I came out at the end not sure which it was intended to be.
Eric Scott Anthony and Ben Hope in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Ben Hope and Eric Scott Anthony in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Scenic design by Hope is simple yet effective. Upstage center features platforms of varying heights that serve as the different stages for various concerts, microphones are moved around from scene to scene, and a handful of other pieces such as chairs and recording mics are brought into play as needed. There are several screens of varying shapes and sizes that create fun visuals when combined with the projection and lighting design, helping to add pops of color, light, and texture to the scenery.
Lighting and projection designer Jessica Ann Drayton creates a wonderful world for this show to live within. Ivoryton’s new projector was excitedly pointed out in the curtain speech, and Drayton uses it to its full extent. Strong color choices underscore important scenes via lighting, while engaging projections highlight important historical touchpoints during certain scenes and intriguing silhouettes during others.
Costumes by Anthony are also rather basic, but effective. There is one look for the first act, and a slight change for the second. I particularly liked the jackets that the pair wore in Act I, with the color and pattern adorning the lapels.
Sound design, audio engineering, and projection programming by Jonathan White are well done. This is a piece that features a ton of music, with live, onstage guitarists that are constantly moving around, and the balance and mix throughout the performance are great.
Lighting and projection designer Jessica Ann Drayton creates a wonderful world for this show to live within. Ivoryton’s new projector was excitedly pointed out in the curtain speech, and Drayton uses it to its full extent. Strong color choices underscore important scenes via lighting, while engaging projections highlight important historical touchpoints during certain scenes and intriguing silhouettes during others.
Costumes by Anthony are also rather basic, but effective. There is one look for the first act, and a slight change for the second. I particularly liked the jackets that the pair wore in Act I, with the color and pattern adorning the lapels.
Sound design, audio engineering, and projection programming by Jonathan White are well done. This is a piece that features a ton of music, with live, onstage guitarists that are constantly moving around, and the balance and mix throughout the performance are great.
Ben Hope and Eric Scott Anthony in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Ben Hope and Eric Scott Anthony in Ivoryton Playhouse’s Everly (Jonathan Steele)
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Everly is a musical homage to the legendary talent of the Everly Brothers sung by two very skilled performers. You’ll be tapping your feet and humming along to the recognizable hits right from the very start. Don’t miss your chance to experience the catchy tunes for yourself– see Everly at Ivoryton Playhouse before it closes on April 28!
Everly runs April 5-April 28 at Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, CT. Tickets are available online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org or by calling (860) 767-7318.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
Everly runs April 5-April 28 at Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, CT. Tickets are available online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org or by calling (860) 767-7318.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.