“”We’re trying to recreate the atmosphere of singing along to your favorite music in the shower – except that you’re fully clothed and with several hundred other people singing at the same time.””
That’s the goal of The Loft Cinema’s first 1980s theme night, said Jeff Yanc, program director. Inspired by a successful “”Purple Rain”” sing-along, the theater has created the “”Totally Awesome ’80s Sing-a-long.”” The event will allow 20-somethings and others to re-experience all the beauty and horror that was ’80s pop culture.
“”We wanted to do something celebrating the music of the ’80s so we decided to just throw a bunch of ’80s stuff into a blender and see what happens,”” Yanc said.
The event will show subtitled music videos of too strange-to-die hits such as “”Beat It”” by Michael Jackson, “”Material Girl”” by Madonna and “”Hungry Like The Wolf”” by Duran Duran. Also for the audience’s delight will be the awfully enthusiastic ballads of “”Footloose”” and “”Top Gun,”” among other films.
The night will also feature enthusiastically hypnotic ballads of popular TV show theme songs. One is the ever-popular occult worship hymn to “”Charles in Charge,”” which starred Scott Baio.
You all remember the tune: “”Charles in Charge of our days and our nights/ Charles in Charge of our wrongs and our rights/ And I sing, I want/ I want Charles in Charge of me.””
Ah, the pseudo-religious subliminal glory of the ’80s.
Audience members may also participate in on-stage recreations of popular commercials and strut their stuff on the runway in their best ’80s fashions.
Prizes will be awarded, so jump into your DeLorean and head over to the Loft to experience a truly unique time period of uninhibited calamity.
“”Looking back, there was just so much ridiculous stuff going on, both musically and fashion-wise,”” Yanc said. “”We’re just kind of celebrating that in a way that maybe we didn’t when we were living through it.””
When asked his stance on headbands and legwarmers, Yanc answered with an enthusiastic “”I am totally supportive of all of those things.””
The “”Totally Awesome ’80s Sing-a-long”” will take place Saturday at 9 p.m. at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
Admission is $5.
