Backstage with Craig O'Keefe, the man behind The Sixties Show - coming to the Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday!

After a sold-out show in 2020 – Ridgefield resident Craig O’Keefe is bringing The Sixties Show back to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, May 14 with an all-new set list featuring music from The Doors, The Beatles, The Who, The Beach Boys and many more!

Plus, this multi-media event includes all-new staging and special effects, and new archival audio and newsreel footage! Don’t miss this note-for-note recreation of the hits with former band members of The Who, Bob Dylan, and NBC TV’s Saturday Night Live band.  

Before he takes to the stage he spent some time chatting with HamletHub about what fans can expect with this brand new show!

The Sixties Show is returning to The Ridgefield Playhouse on May 14th for the fourth time! How is this show different from past performances?

The show is always evolving. As one of the Executive Producers and Musical Director, I'm always looking at ways to keep the show fresh and interesting in terms of always updating production elements with new multimedia, special effects, stage design and new songs. 

There are so many iconic artists and songs from the 60s. How do you choose your set list and what songs can fans look forward to hearing?

I'm conscious of never re-producing songs that are pedestrian or predictable. Although we play hits we also play B-sides and deep album cuts and perform them exactly like they sound on the original recordings, with no samples or backing tracks. We draw from a pretty deep well of 60's artists.  We achieve the desired sound by only using authentic 1960s instrumentation just like they played back in the 60s. However, we use a modern state-of-the-art sound system to project a clean, clear sound to the audience as well as incorporating modern software and hardware to run the multi-media and time travel effects.  

Your band includes some incredible musicians who have performed with Bob Dylan, The Who and NBC’s Saturday Night Live Band.  How did you put this band together?

All of the cast/musicians in The Sixties Show are of the highest caliber world-class musicians. Because of this, they have been chosen by some of the world's most famous and iconic acts to record and tour with them. When I was creating the production and putting the show together I auditioned hundreds of the best musicians out of NY and LA. I carefully chose not only the very best , but musicians that also have a deep understanding and love for this era's music and cultural sensibilities. Having this type of musician in the cast further helps with the meticulous authenticity of this show.

Incorporating archival audio and newsreel footage really helps take the audience back to the sights and sounds of the 1960s.Is this a show that parents (or grandparents!) can enjoy with their kids?

The show is about time traveling back to the 1960s based around a concert. Our audiences wherever we perform consists of people of all ages; adults of every age, teens and even children. Much like generally the type of crowd you might see at most Broadway shows. It's definitely a cross-generational crowd pleaser.

What is your favorite part of the show?

I truly love every aspect and every part of the show. I would have to say that the best part for me is when we end our final encore and have a backstage meet and greet. This is where we get to meet some of our audience where people specifically tell us how much they loved the show and that they have never seen anything like that before or its the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time etc seeing us or they have driven several states away to see the show.  I never get tired of hearing these things. I'm so grateful and appreciative that our show keeps resonating and emotionally connecting with people.  And the theaters and crowds just keep getting bigger and bigger is nice too!

Don’t miss your chance to travel back in time with The Sixties Show on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8pm.  Before the show, enjoy a free tasting with the award winning Athletic Brewing Co. non-alcoholic beer!

Make it a great night out with dinner and a show!  Visit TerraSole and enjoy a complimentary glass of house wine with your entrée when you present your tickets!

Click here for tickets or call The Ridgefield Playhouse box office at 203.438.5795

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Submitted by Norwalk, CT

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