From Soul Train to Sleigh Bells: A Groovy Christmas Celebration at Zeiders American Dream Theater!
- Synnika_Lofton
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
If you’re ready for big afros, bellbottoms, vibrant colors, nostalgic dance moves, and equally bright smiles, then you need to climb aboard UPAC’s A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue.
Underground Performing Arts Collective, affectionately known as UPAC, returns to Zeider's American Dream Theater for the highly entertaining A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue, which is written by Anthony Wayne and Kendrell Bowman. Sharon Cook is the Artistic Director and Founder of UPAC, and this production is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Kelly-Cooper. This holiday season, UPAC fuses the Christmas spirit with the 1970s television hit, Soul Train! UPAC invites theater goers to climb aboard and participate in a live taping of a Christmas special!
Remember Soul Train? Remember the smooth talking and charismatic Don Cornelius? Remember his popular catchphrase at the end of the show? How about the "Soul Train Scramble Board" and the "Soul Train Line"? I first caught Soul Train in the late 1980s. I remember the visually stunning graphics, the commercials, the musicians, and the interviews. Soul Train launched in the 1970s and featured some of the most talented African American artists of the day, like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donna Summer, Earth, Wind & Fire, and many others!
UPAC has combined the joy of Christmas and Soul Train’s cultural impact to create an unforgettable and entertaining experience for theater goers. A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue is packed with humor, soulful Christmas songs, memorable commercials, high powered dance moves, and hilarious skits/ commercials. It's a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and nostalgic moments.
UPAC has always been a powerhouse for talent, and representation is still the heartbeat of the organization. The organization remains on the frontline of social change by transporting the stories of underrepresented communities and marginalized groups to the stage. UPAC is a firm supporter of the BIPOC community, the LGBTQ+ community, and the Neurodivergent community.
You can add A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue
to UPAC’s expanding catalog!
With that said, UPAC has assembled some of the most talented singers, actors, and dancers in Hampton Roads, VA to interpret some of the most dynamic artists from the 1970s. Just in time for the holidays!
So many talented artists bring the Soul Train experience to life! Here are just a few of the high moments from the show! No particular order.
Keith (Rice) Mayo plays Ron Cornelius (Don Cornelius) and takes over all the hosting duties. With his smooth and charismatic presence, curly afro, and super sharp, canary yellow suit, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the action, introducing the acts, cracking jokes, and interacting with the audience. Mr. Mayo is certainly the pulsating bassline that keeps the audience centered and anchored through the show.
The Jackson 5, or should I say The Braxton 5, set the tone early. Six members appear in the image below, and they explain the mix up. They definitely show up and kill the stage. Their performance of "Dancing Machine" is certainly a high moment, especially when the silver and black lights flicker, and they slow down their dance routine. They almost appear to be moving underwater, but with a spatial, futuristic presence.
The Wonderland Dancers are also heartbeats and funky basslines to the experience. Lauren Clark, Aleah Ward, and Ashlei Warren consistently light up the dance floor with soulful precision. You can find them dancing to several songs all throughout the show, showcasing those innovative dance steps and routines that made people want to watch the show back in the 1970s and 1980s.
A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue is full of laughter. Kelley Green (Raffle Winner/ Wonderland Dancer) is pure, comedic genius through the entire performance. Her antics/dance moves keep the crowd laughing every time she steps onto the stage or any time she’s caught in the audience. Her personality and skill set are built for the theater. She thrives in the live atmosphere. I have seen the show four times, and I have seen her feed off the energy of the room each time.
This production is non-stop energy!
When Jake Kantor (JC and the Moonshine Band/ Wonderland Dancer) hops on stage to perform "Shake Your Booty," the crowd hoots, hollers, and roars, as he encourages people to get up and dance. At one point, he breaks into a full sprint and slides across the front of the stage, while theater goers scream and cheer.
During a commercial break, Terrance A. Bynum (The O’Shays, Tito Braxton, Fred Sanford) and Blaque Queen (Xtremes) team up to reenact a hilarious scene from Sandford and Son.
The commercial breaks are just as entertaining as the musical performances. They create bridges and connections to the past. Also, the breaks bring the audience into the live production of the show. Not only do theater goers have front row seats, but they’re vital parts of the action.
The signature voices of Tory Myrick Jr. (Marvin Slay, Jermaine Braxton, Sensation) and Calvin Morris (Lonny Hathaway, The O’Shays) take A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue to new heights and levels. They naturally stand out. I'm not sure how UPAC recruits talent, but this show has an all-star cast of singers and performers. The impact of these two singers can’t be accurately described with just words. Every time you locate them in a song, it’s guaranteed to be a vocally impacting experience. They both command the stage and know how to work the room. I can tell they have a genuine love for the music and the theater.
Tory’s duet with the surreal Mikah Goodwine (Tiana Ross/ Tammy Ferrell), on "The Christmas Song," offers the crowd another memorable experience. Their voices gently collide--with a jazzy/soulful sensibility--in this non-stop show, featuring classic music from the era.
Calvin’s vocal range surprises me each time he takes the stage, especially on "Silent Night" and the spiritual/ religious selections toward the end of the show.
A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue has too many great moments to simply focus on one scene, one song, one commercial, or one element of the show. It’s effectively curated to keep the audience engaged. During intermission, you can catch clips from popular Black television shows, streaming across the walls of the house, like Sanford and Son, Different Strokes, Benson, Good Times, and What’s Happening?
UPAC does a great job of curating the experience. You never really get off the train. This is journey. Whether you stay in the house during intermission or venture out into the marketplace in the lobby, you’re surrounded by the same cultural themes and the same energy. If you happen to be in the marketplace, you may also run into Ron Cornelius (Keith Mayo), conducting interviews with people in the snack line.
Chonise Thomas (Sheila Devotion, Mary, Mrs. Claus, Claretha Franklin) electrifies every time she walks onto the stage. She combines her fierce and golden voice with the voice of smooth crooner, Antonio Forbes (Back Door Santa, Jackie Braxton) for a memorable performance of "Me and Mrs. Claus."
The duets in A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue are pure fire!
Elliott “KJ” Pope plays young Michael Braxton (Michael Jackson). He truly embraces the role and tries to mimic Michael Jackson’s young, light, and airy voice. The crowd reacts every time he speaks in interview segments, or when he introduces Little Janet Braxton, who is played by the youngest star of the cast, the talented Zuri Sarai Lofton. The dynamic duo team up, and together, they rock the theater with a classic and tender rendition of "Give Love on Christmas Day."
Like I said before, it’s extremely difficult to pick one piece of the show to talk about. UPAC creates an experience with this show. With so many talented individuals and moving parts, it feels impossible to focus on one aspect because you find yourself thinking about so many others.
Other high moments include Poppi Colbert’s (Bertha Kitt/ Wanda Devotion), rendition of "Santa Baby," J. Travis Cooper’s (Manager, Marlon Braxton, Sensation) rich and bassy voice in "Silent Night," and Aliya Reed’s (Jeena Marie) highly impressive vocals.
A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Musical Revue is high energy and engaging from start to finish. Combining the Christmas season with Soul Train's groovy/soulful energy has certainly heated up Zeider's American Dream Theater. The show just wrapped up its first four shows at the beloved theater, but you can catch any of the four additional shows this weekend (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).
Check out the official website and get your tickets today!!
Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton is an award-winning poet, educator, Pushcart Prize nominee, publisher, and freelance writer. Lofton is the author of more than thirty-five collections of poetry and more than one-hundred and seventy spoken word albums. His poems have appeared in Clock House Journal, Revenge, UpStreet, Experience Reality Magazine, Quay, Dissident Voice, The Skinny Poetry Journal, Mid-Atlantic Review, and Blue-Collar Review. He earned both a B.A. in Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Goddard College. He has held teaching positions at Chesapeake Bay Academy, Norfolk State University, Virginia Wesleyan University., and Elizabeth City State University.