Nobody said anything about a workout.
But when Columbus resident Steve Fushelberger caught the live presentation of “Respect: The Women of Rock ‘n’ Soul” at the Brown County Playhouse three years ago, he hardly became a passive observer.
“(It was) great music and dancing was encouraged, so we did,” he said. “Hitting my daily Fitbit 10,000-step goal was just an added benefit. Thus, no reason to stay seated during the entire show.”
The production returns at 7:30 p.m. each Friday of October to the 426-seat venue, where Fushelberger said he labels the entertainment as “outstanding.” Which is saying something when one considers that he is choosy enough to also be a fan of national, Tony Award-winning talent at Columbus’ Cabaret at The Commons series.
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Vocalists Jenn Cristy, who toured nationally as a multi-instrumentalist and singer with John Mellencamp’s band, Shai Warfield-Cross and Zoë Reed star in the Nashville concert celebrating 60 years of women in music.
It features something of an all-star jukebox, highlighting the classic tunes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, The Supremes, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle and Adele, among others.
The 2016 performance included the singers’ own take on some numbers. For instance, the normally high-energy Cristy’s soft, acoustic and slightly-tweaked version of Fleetwod Mac’s “Landslide” was perhaps as haunting as the original.
The performer who first made a splash as an All-American swimmer at Indiana University now has recorded six albums of what she labels as “piano-driven rock,” and targets her musical influences broadly, ranging from Ben Folds to Pink, and from Bruce Hornsby to Queen.
Shai Warfield-Cross’ background includes singing in the IU Soul Revue, including when the ensemble opened for such national acts such as Jill Scott, Common and The Roots.
“It’s a huge confidence booster,” Warfield-Cross told IU Communications last year. “It makes you feel like, ‘This (music) dream could really happen.’”
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What: "Respect: The Women of Rock ‘n’ Soul, featuring the music of top female singers over the past 60 years.
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25.
Where: Brown County Playhouse, 70 S. Van Buren St. in Nashville.
Tickets: $20.50 and $21.50, available online at browncountyplayhouse.org
Information: browncountyplayhouse.org
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