That Lovin' Feelin'
With so many new musicals to choose from at this year's festival, sometimes it's nice to find something familiar. Enter That Lovin' Feelin', a jukebox musical about (you guessed it) the musical duo the Righteous Brothers, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley. With a book by James A. Zimmerman and arrangements by J. Michael Roy, That Lovin' Feelin' follows the decades long career of the duo, from their start and their recording years, all the way up through Hatfield's death in 2003. The musical originally premiered at the St. Croix Off Broadway Dinner Theatre in the Twin Cities metro area, and has since seen a few regional productions in California before landing at this year's Chicago Musical Theatre Festival.
While the iconic music may drum up some fond, nostalgic memories, the production doesn't shy away from the more tense moments of the duo's career. Original cast member David Frank admits that "due to the tempestuous relationship between Bobby and Bill, this show is definitely a dramatic one, with a few comic and heartwarming moments." Frank and much of the original Minneapolis cast will be making the trek to Chicago for the festival, and although the core principals have been performing the show for awhile now, Frank excitedly lets on, "we do have some newcomers, and it’s always great to hear new interpretations of lines and to play off of them. It keeps the show fresh." Nearing the end of the rehearsal process, all that's left on the horizon is the festival itself. "This team is ready to go on the road!" says Frank.
That Lovin' Feelin' is the musical biography of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. During an interview with a college paper, an elderly Bill recounts his rise to stardom. Young Bill Medley starts out as a doo-wop singer, but when his friend John Wimber puts him together with Bobby Hatfield, Bill and Bobby discover their common love for R&B and the Righteous Brothers are born. They quickly get signed to record their first hit, and their sound catches the attention of hit producer Phil Spector. Phil gets them to sing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and the group's popularity skyrockets. The stress of producing another hit leads to tension between the two singers. Can the two find a way to work together or will their differences drive them apart? Book by James A. Zimmerman, Arrangements by J. Michael Roy, presented by Off Broadway Dinner Theatres, Inc.
Check out the Performance Dates page on the 2016 CMTF Blog to find the performance times for That Lovin' Feelin', and visit cmtf.org for more information and tickets.
