Tribute shows revive music of some of top performers of years past
The Taft Theatre, downtown Cincinnati, has scheduled a number of tribute performances to some of music’s best-known names. If you are of a certain age, you might know all of the songs. If you are younger, you might recall your parents — or grandparents — playing some of the artists’ best music from the 1970s and ’80s in the background of your life.
8 p.m. Oct. 1 — Queen
The Windborne Rock Symphony Orchestra calls The Music of Queen its hottest classic-rock symphony show.
The group says its stays as close as possible to the original recordings, with the orchestral sounds wrapped around that original sound — with many vocals and lots of harmonic structure. Vegas veteran Brody Dolyniuk handles the complex task of representing Freddie Mercury.
Whether you are an average fan or someone who knows every Queen song, the group promises that there’s something for you. Music from the albums Classic Queen, A Night at the Opera, Sheer Heart Attack, Jazz, News of the World, A Kind of Magic and The Works, as well as other songs, are featured in the show.
Windborne Productions Inc. started in 1990 with music in television and movies. Its first live production of classic-rock music with an orchestra was The Music of Led Zeppelin in late 1995. Windborne personnel have traveled the world with the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, the Doors, Queen, Michael Jackson, the Who, U2, Whitney Houston, the Rolling Stones and Journey.
7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 — Fleetwood Mac
The Rumours of Fleetwood Mac will be performing some of the group’s biggest hits at the Oct. 28 Taft performance (the show was rescheduled from a previous date; tickets previously purchased will be honored).
The Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, a group of musicians that endeavors to perform the music as authentically as possible, says it has performed to more than 800,000 fans
across the world and tallied more than 80 million streams on YouTube. The group formed in 1999 and is endorsed by Fleetwood Mac member/founder Mick Fleetwood.
7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 – Billy Joel
Celebrating Billy Joel will perform the songs of the hit solo artist with the style and pizazz of Joel in America’s Piano Man (also a rescheduling from a previous concert date).
As one of the 20th century’s foremost songwriters, Joel is known around the globe. With multi-vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, the show evokes the energy and passion of Joel’s live performances in his ’70s/’80s heyday.
Playing international smash hits such as Just The Way You Are, New York State of Mind, Uptown Girl, Vienna, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Piano Man, among others, the touring group of musicians pays tribute to one of America’s music greats.
8 p.m. Nov. 4 — David Bowie
Celebrating David Bowie will provide a fresh interpretation of Bowie’s music, bringing together a rotating ensemble of some big names in their own rights: Rock ’n’ Roll Hall-of-Famer Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew, Scrote, Royston Langdon, Jeffrey Gaines, Ron Dziubla, Narada Michael Walden Angeline Saris and Michael Urbano.
Belew, quoted on the Taft Theatre website, says: “With such a large catalog to choose from, different songs affect us and the audience in varying measure. It’s always amazing to feel the excitement of a Bowie audience beaming directly at you. Pure adrenaline! So much love for David.”
Rundgren adds: “This is Major Todd to ground control. I’m stepping through the door. … In 1973, I met David Bowie and one of us ended up crying. I met David several times after that. Some of our phases, like glam, coincided. David had more of that Andy Warhol kind of sensibility, a pop sensibility.”
Celebrating David Bowie has performed to Bowie fans in 17 countries on five continents with guest appearances by Sting, Gary Oldman, Seal, Perry Farrell, The B-52’s’ Kate Pierson, Ewan McGregor, Simon Le Bon, Gavin Rossdale, La Roux, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, Corey Taylor, Ian Astbury, Darren Criss, The Tubes’ Fee Waybill, Living Colour, The London Community Gospel Choir, The Harlem Gospel Choir and a long list of Bowie friends and former band members.
8 p.m. Nov. 9 — ABBA
Mania The ABBA Tribute re-creates one of the world’s top pop groups from the 1970s, promising that you’ll be “having the time of your life” at the performance.
The ABBA show has toured in Britain, Venezuela, North America, Tahiti, Mexico, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg.
The production was created in 1999 and played its first shows in 2000. In 2002, Mania The ABBA Tribute was invited to perform at London’s West End and played for 18 weeks at the Strand Theatre. In 2003, the show was presented with a prestigious Radio Regenbogen award for the best musical of 2002; fellow winners that year were Tom Jones and Meat Loaf. In the same year, Mania The ABBA Tribute toured extensively throughout Europe, selling out many theaters, including 24 consecutive shows at the Schiller Theater in Berlin.
The show continues to popular today, playing throughout the U.S. with shows scheduled through March so far.
