Charleston Ballet Theatre shows it has soul with Motown Mania

Jill Eathorne Bahr, resident choreographer of the Charleston Ballet Theatre, pays tribute to her hometown with Motown Mania, a show that may be an instant hit with anyone who loves music from that era.

The 90-minute show will feature classics from many of Motown's most beloved artists, including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and The Supremes, the Jackson 5, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Mary Wells, and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas.

Bahr says of her musical inspiration, "I grew up in Detroit from birth through high school, and before going off to dance professionally and choreograph in my adult years, I lived with the sound of the Motor City and the Motown Sound blaring out of the open windows of my brother's car as we tooled down Grand River. That, coupled with the 50th anniversary of Motown, made for a well-timed production."

In addition to showcasing sounds from Motown, Bahr is also keenly aware of the financial meltdown that has affected Detroit and believes it is a perfect time to shift the focus on her hometown.

She said she wanted to do a show on Motown when the American financial turmoil erupted last year. "Detroit was where I was born, many of my family members and friends were financially tied to the Big Three automotive industry for their mouths to be fed, and my family owned its own business in Michigan for the past 65+ years."

One of the most difficult parts of this production has been the selection of music. From a wealth of hits and classics, Bahr had to whittle down her selections to fill only 90 minutes.

"In a very basic way, I attempted to chronicle the Motown sound by incorporating the demise of the city of Detroit and the racial tensions that were at play at the time, through to where Detroit is now and hopefully will go," Bahr says.

"I thought the only key for such a monumental task would be to bring an outside character in to experience some of the action. I chose two foreign musicians who come to Detroit for the first time to be introduced to the Motown sound."

She tells her story by parading these two musicians around on their mo-ped as they encounter the situations that bring light to a time and place in the not-too-distant past.

When asked about her hopes for the future of Detroit, Bahr says, "The landscape of America will be forever changed but the plates will continue to shift. Perhaps five years from now, American ingenuity will bring about a renaissance of the American automobile industry. The images, words and conclusions I have found show the effects of self-reinforced ignorance and apathy.

"To me, being a native-born Detroiter is a revelation," she says. "Let's hope out of that a whole new lifestyle will be created. I have got to hope and believe it will be."

If you go

What: Motown Mania.

When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29-30.

Where: Black Box Theatre, 477 King St.

Tickets: $32 and $30, $15 for students.

Info: 723-7334.